In the annals of time, critics of the Kremlin, defected spies, and investigative scribes have met their demise or faced assault through diverse means. Recently, Russian authorities declared the demise of Alexei Navalny, the prominent political rival to President Vladimir Putin, within the confines of an Arctic prison colony. The circumstances surrounding his demise remain shrouded in mystery, with Navalny’s team lacking official confirmation and Russian authorities in the process of determining the cause. Accusations of attempted poisoning using a nerve agent were previously hurled at Russian officials by Navalny’s allies in 2020.
Assassination endeavors targeting Putin’s adversaries have been a recurrent theme throughout his near quarter-century tenure. Although those close to the victims and a handful of survivors point fingers at Russian authorities, the Kremlin consistently disavows any involvement.
Instances of noteworthy killings or attempted killings include:
Political Opponents: In August 2020, Navalny’s health deteriorated on a flight from Siberia to Moscow, leading to hospitalization in Omsk. Allegations of poisoning surfaced, vehemently denied by Russian officials. Laboratories in Germany, France, and Sweden later confirmed the use of Novichok, a Soviet-era nerve agent. Despite recovering, Navalny returned to Russia and was subsequently convicted on extremism charges, sentenced to 19 years in prison.
Pyotr Verzilov, a co-founder of the protest group Pussy Riot, fell critically ill in 2018, raising suspicions of poisoning. Surviving the ordeal, he faced potential targeting due to activism that embarrassed the Kremlin during the World Cup final in Moscow.
Vladimir Kara-Murza, a prominent opposition figure, survived suspected poisoning in 2015 and 2017. Despite convictions and imprisonment, allegations of foul play persisted.
Former Intelligence Operatives: In 2006, Russian defector Alexander Litvinenko succumbed to radioactive polonium-210 in London. His investigations into the death of journalist Anna Politkovskaya and alleged links between the Russian intelligence service and organized crime culminated in a fatal poisoning.
Sergei Skripal, another former intelligence officer, faced poisoning in Britain in 2018. The attack also affected his daughter and led to collateral damage. The use of the military-grade nerve agent Novichok pointed fingers at Russian intelligence, although Moscow denied involvement.
Journalists: Various journalists critical of Russian authorities have met mysterious deaths. Politkovskaya, shot in her Moscow apartment building in 2006, received posthumous acclaim for reporting on human rights abuses in Chechnya. Yuri Shchekochikhin, investigating corrupt business dealings and the 1999 apartment house bombings, died suddenly in 2003, with suspicions of poisoning.
Yevgeny Prigozhin and His Lieutenants: The demise of Yevgeny Prigozhin and his top lieutenants in a plane crash last August stirred speculation. Two months prior, Prigozhin had launched an armed rebellion, prompting a U.S. intelligence assessment suggesting intentional foul play. Putin’s spokesperson dismissed accusations of Kremlin involvement, emphasizing a purported lie in Western speculations.
In conclusion, these instances underscore a pattern of political intrigue, subterfuge, and suspected foul play within the corridors of power, leaving a trail of mysteries and unanswered questions in their wake.