Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukrainian military intelligence, said during a press conference in Kiev that Alexei Navalny died of natural causes. “I may disappoint you, but what we know is that he actually died from a blood clot. And this was more or less confirmed. “It didn’t come from the Internet, but unfortunately it’s a natural death,” Budanov said, according to Ukrainian media reports.
Previously, the theory that Navalny died from a blood clot was reported by Russian state media. To date, there are great doubts in the West that the opposition figure will die naturally. In addition to Navalny's widow Yulia, several Western politicians blame the Russian leadership and Putin personally for her death. Moscow rejected the accusations.
Kiev therefore supports the opinion that Navalny died of natural causes. Such a blood clot could, for example, have been caused by the extreme conditions of the prison – too little exercise or infections could therefore lead to thrombosis.
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Navalny's death was announced on February 16. The 47-year-old was in a prison camp in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, north of the Arctic Circle. Prison authorities claimed that Navalny felt unwell after a walk and passed out almost immediately. Doctors reportedly took all necessary resuscitation measures and Navalny was pronounced dead a short time later.
After Russian authorities refused to hand over the mother's body for several days, Navalny's body was handed over last Saturday. It is still unclear if, when and to what extent the funeral of the well-known opposition figure will be held.