NEW DELHI: On Friday, Russian authorities said President Vladimir Putin’s key political challenger, Alexei Navalny, died in an Arctic prison colony. The details of what happened are unknown; Navalny‘s team says it has no official confirmation of his death and Russian authorities say they are establishing why he died. His allies previously accused Russian officials of trying to poison him with a nerve agent in 2020.
Assassination attempts against foes of Putin have been common during his nearly quarter century in power.Those close to the victims and the few survivors have blamed Russian authorities, but the Kremlin has routinely denied involvement.
There also have been reports of prominent Russian executives dying under mysterious circumstances, including falling from windows, although whether they were deliberate killings or suicides is sometimes difficult to determine.
The attacks range from the exotic — poisoned by drinking polonium-laced tea or touching a deadly nerve agent — to the more mundane of getting shot at close range. Some take a fatal plunge from an open window.
Over the years, Kremlin political critics, turncoat spies and investigative journalists have been killed or assaulted in a variety of ways.
Here are some some other prominent cases of documented killings or attempted killings:
Assassination attempts against foes of Putin have been common during his nearly quarter century in power.Those close to the victims and the few survivors have blamed Russian authorities, but the Kremlin has routinely denied involvement.
There also have been reports of prominent Russian executives dying under mysterious circumstances, including falling from windows, although whether they were deliberate killings or suicides is sometimes difficult to determine.
The attacks range from the exotic — poisoned by drinking polonium-laced tea or touching a deadly nerve agent — to the more mundane of getting shot at close range. Some take a fatal plunge from an open window.
Over the years, Kremlin political critics, turncoat spies and investigative journalists have been killed or assaulted in a variety of ways.
Here are some some other prominent cases of documented killings or attempted killings:
- Yevgeny Prigozhin: Once a powerful figure within Russia and a close associate of Putin, Prigozhin met his demise in 2023 following a
plane crash . The Wagner Group chief, known for his mercenary activities, had survived a failed insurrection against the Russian government, leading to widespread speculation about the circumstances of his death. - Boris Nemtsov: A former deputy prime minister and a sharp critic of Putin, Nemtsov was gunned down near the Kremlin in 2015, just days before he was to lead an opposition rally. His death highlighted the dangerous environment for political dissent in Russia, with many suspecting Kremlin involvement.
- Alexander Litvinenko: In a high-profile case that strained Russia-UK relations, former FSB agent Litvinenko died in London in 2006 from polonium
poisoning . A British inquiry concluded that Putin “probably approved” the assassination, which Litvinenko himself attributed to the Kremlin in a deathbed statement, saying, “the howl of protest from around the world will reverberate, Mr. Putin, in your ears for the rest of your life.” - Anna Politkovskaya, an investigative journalist renowned for her critical reporting on the Chechen war, was tragically murdered in Moscow on October 7, 2006, according to Russian news outlets. Found by a neighbor, Politkovskaya was shot in the corridor of her residence in Moscow’s heart, as reported by a police spokesperson. Known for her outspoken criticism of the conflict in Chechnya, her demise occurred at her apartment’s entryway in 2006. Subsequently, in 2014, five individuals were convicted and sentenced by a Moscow tribunal for their involvement in her murder.
- Verzilov and Kara-Murza: Poisoned twice: In 2018, Pyotr Verzilov, a founder of the protest group Pussy Riot, fell severely ill and also was flown to Berlin, where doctors said poisoning was “highly plausible.” He eventually recovered. Earlier that year, Verzilov embarrassed the Kremlin by running onto the field during soccer’s World Cup final in Moscow with three other activists to protest police brutality. His allies said he could have been targeted because of his activism.
- Prominent opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza survived what he believes were attempts to poison him in 2015 and 2017. He nearly died from kidney failure in the first instance and suspects poisoning but no cause was determined. He was hospitalized with a similar illness in 2017 and put into a medically induced coma. His wife said doctors confirmed he was poisoned.
- Kara-Murza survived, and his lawyer says police have refused to investigate. Last year, he was convicted of treason and sentenced to 25 years in prison. In January he was moved to a prison in Siberia and placed in solitary confinement over an alleged minor infraction.
Why it matters
- The pattern of lethal attacks against Kremlin critics reveals the grave risks faced by political opponents, investigative journalists, and turncoat spies in Russia.
- These incidents range from sophisticated poisonings to direct shootings and mysterious falls, underscoring the perilous environment for those challenging the Kremlin’s authority.
- The assassination of Boris Nemtsov and the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko and Sergei Skripal, linked to Russian operatives, illustrate a disturbing trend of targeting critics beyond Russia’s borders, signaling the Kremlin’s reach and its disregard for international norms.
What they are saying
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov: “The reaction of Western leaders to the death was unacceptable and ‘absolutely rabid’.”
- Yulia Navalnaya, Navalny’s wife: “Putin and all those who work for him, his entire entourage, his friends, I want them to know that they will not go unpunished.”
- US President Joe Biden: “Make no mistake, Putin is responsible for Navalny’s death.”
- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres: “Shocked and urged a ‘full, credible and transparent investigation’.”
Zoom in
- Navalny’s death in an Arctic penal colony, following previous allegations of poisoning with a nerve agent, highlights the ongoing threat to Putin’s adversaries.
- Despite Kremlin denials, the consistency of these attacks, alongside international confirmations of poisonings, points to a systematic approach to eliminating opposition.
- What’s next: The aftermath of these deaths and attacks raises questions about the international community’s response to Russia’s internal and external aggression. With critics silenced through fatal means and the Kremlin’s consistent denials, the cycle of impunity and targeted violence is likely to continue without significant international intervention or a shift in Russia’s political landscape.
(With inputs from agencies)