WSJ: US intel sees Putin unlikely behind Navalny’s killing

US intelligence sources have indicated that they do not believe Russian President Vladimir Putin directly ordered the assassination of Alexei Navalny, a prominent opposition leader, while he was detained at an Arctic prison camp in February. This information was revealed by The Wall Street Journal on Saturday, April 27.

Navalny, who was 47 years old at the time of his death, was a leading critic of Putin within Russia. His supporters, who have been labeled as extremists by Russian authorities, have consistently accused Putin of being behind Navalny’s death and have pledged to provide evidence to back their claims.

The Kremlin has denied any involvement in the incident, with Putin expressing regret over Navalny’s demise last month and stating a conditional willingness for an exchange with the West that would prevent Navalny from returning to Russia.

Navalny’s circle suggested that talks about such an exchange were in progress. However, based on information from unnamed sources, US intelligence has assessed that it is unlikely Putin was involved in ordering Navalny’s death in February.

While the US has not completely absolved Putin of any responsibility, it recognizes that Navalny had been a target of the Russian government for years. He had been imprisoned on charges that are widely considered by the West to be politically motivated and survived a poisoning attempt with a nerve agent in 2020, which the Kremlin also denies any involvement in.

In response to The Wall Street Journal’s report, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed it as “empty speculation,” questioning the credibility of the material presented in the report.

The US assessment utilized various sources, including classified intelligence and publicly known facts, such as the timing of Navalny’s death, which occurred close to Putin’s re-election in March. Leonid Volkov, a senior advisor to Navalny, criticized the US conclusions as naive and absurd.

Details surrounding Navalny’s death remain sparse. Reports from Russia indicate that Navalny felt unwell during a brief walk in his Siberian penal colony and collapsed, never regaining consciousness. His death was confirmed by his family to have occurred at 14:17 local time on Friday, February 16. Authorities at the prison suggested he died of “sudden death syndrome,” according to his team.