16.02.2026 09:26
According to a joint investigation by European countries, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was killed in prison with a deadly poison derived from Ecuadorian frogs. His wife, Yulia Navalnaya, described Vladimir Putin as a "murderer" and stated that he should be held accountable; Moscow denied the allegations.
Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, held Russian President Vladimir Putin responsible, stating that the Kremlin was behind her husband's death. According to an independent investigation conducted by European countries, it has been revealed that a rare and deadly neurotoxin called epibatidine, derived from Ecuadorian frogs, was detected in Navalny's body. This finding strengthens the claims that the opposition leader was poisoned and killed while in prison.
5 COUNTRIES ON ALERT
Navalny passed away at the age of 47 in a penal colony cell in Siberia on February 16, 2024. Russian officials initially suggested that the death was due to "natural causes," but a joint investigation by the UK, Germany, Sweden, France, and the Netherlands indicated the presence of epibatidine. This toxin is not found naturally in Russia and only appears on the skin of certain poisonous frogs in South America.
"PUTIN IS A MURDERER, MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE"
Navalnaya stated on Sunday, "From the first day, I was sure my husband was poisoned, and now there is evidence of it. Vladimir Putin is a murderer and must be held accountable for all his crimes." She also expressed her gratitude for the diligent work of European countries.
While the emerging findings do not provide details on how this rapidly lethal poison, which is in the hands of the authorities and security forces, was administered, Western countries emphasized that the Kremlin has both the means, motive, and opportunity. Therefore, the developments were reported to the international monitoring organization OPCW regarding the use of chemical weapons.
KREMLIN DENIES ALL ALLEGATIONS
This new assessment is interpreted as confirming the opposition's anti-Kremlin claims since Navalny survived an earlier poisoning attempt with another nerve agent in 2020. Russia denies all allegations and claims that the death was due to "natural causes."