US Intelligence Suggests Putin Unlikely Behind Navalny's Assassination

The "Wall Street Journal" reported on Saturday that American intelligence agencies believe it is unlikely that Vladimir Putin ordered the assassination of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a penal colony above the Arctic Circle in February.

"WSJ" stated, citing people familiar with the matter, that several American agencies - including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the intelligence unit of the State Department of the United States – agree that Putin probably did not order the assassination of Navalny in mid-February.

This assessment is "based on a range of information, including some classified intelligence, and an analysis of public facts, including the timing of his death and how it overshadowed Putin’s re-election," "WSJ" explains. Navalny died a month before the so-called presidential elections in Russia, which were held from March 15-17.

The U.S. intelligence agencies shared their findings with the intelligence services of some European countries. However, some European security officials "remain sceptical", pointing to the vast extent of Putin's control over Russia and its special services.

It also recalled that Navalny's associate, Leonid Volkov, commented on the opposition leader's death, saying: "The idea of Putin being not informed and not approving killing Navalny is ridiculous."

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence oversees American intelligence agencies and refused to comment.

Putin denies having any involvement in Navalny's death. In March, he stated that a few days before the opposition leader's death, he agreed to exchange him for Russians imprisoned in the US.