A photo of Russian anti-regime activist Alexei Navalny is covered with flower bouquets from mourners near the Russian consulate in Frankfurt, Germany, on the 17th (local time). /AP Yonhap News
Kirillo Budanow, head of the Ukrainian Military Intelligence Service (GUR), said that the cause of death of Russian anti-government activist Alexei Navalny, who recently died in prison, was natural. While various claims were raised about Navalny’s death, an anti-Russian figure defended the Russian prison’s claim that he died “naturally due to a blood clot.”
According to Ukrainian media outlet Ukraineska Pravda on the 25th (local time), Director Budanow attended the ‘Ukraine, 2024’ forum and said, “It may be disappointing, but we learned that Navalny died from a blood clot. “There is,” he said.
He continued, “This is not a story taken from the internet. “This has been confirmed to some extent,” he said, adding, “Unfortunately, it was a natural death.”
He also said, “Do not believe that the Russian regime will collapse on its own,” and “(regime collapse) is unrealistic without our help.” At the same time, he said, “We will continue to conduct operations on Russian territory because the stable regime in Russia poses a threat to Ukraine and the world.”
He also predicted that there would be a new attack on Russian military bases in the Crimean Peninsula. “A new surprise awaits the enemy,” he said, adding, “Civilians are advised to refrain from using the Crimean Bridge.”
On the other hand, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy made a contradictory claim to Budanow, claiming that the Kremlin was responsible for Navalny’s death.
At the same event, President Zelensky said, “As for the Russians, what should I talk about with them? They killed one of the opposition politicians (Navalny) together with the Kremlin.” He continued, “Russians need to talk one way or another now. But where is their reaction?” He said, “They don’t care even though Navalny was a compatriot of the Russians.”
Meanwhile, Navalny died on the 16th in the 3rd prison of the Yaman-Nenets Autonomous Region in Russia’s northernmost Siberia region. Navalny’s body was handed over to his family on the 24th, eight days after his death. The funeral has not been held yet.
Navalny’s spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh claimed that investigators had threatened Navalny’s mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya, by saying they would bury his body in prison if she did not agree to a private funeral. He said, “I don’t know if the authorities will interfere with the funeral the way the family wants and the way Navalny deserves to be treated.”
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2024-02-26 00:03:04
