U.S. Intel: Putin Likely Not Directly Responsible for Navalny's Death Despite Brutal Prison Conditions

U.S. intelligence officials have determined that Russian President Vladimir Putin likely did not personally command the passing of imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny in February 2023.

While the U.S. believes Putin was ultimately responsible for Navalny's death, which occurred under brutal conditions in a remote penal colony, the intelligence community found no evidence that Putin was aware of the timing of Navalny's death or directly ordered it.

Navalny, a prominent Putin critic, died on February 16, 2023 while serving a 19-year sentence on extremism charges that he rejected as politically driven. The 47-year-old had been imprisoned since January 2021 after returning to Russia from Germany, where he had been recovering from a nerve-agent poisoning that he blamed on the Kremlin.

U.S. President Joe Biden had previously said Putin and his "thugs" were responsible for Navalny's death, but the new intelligence assessment indicates there is no "smoking gun" conclusively connecting Putin to the order. "The intelligence community found no direct evidence that Putin was aware of the timing of Navalny's death or that he directly ordered it," a U.S. official familiar with the assessment told The Wall Street Journal.

Why this matters: Navalny's death in Russian custody sparked international outrage and further strained U.S.-Russia ties. The U.S. intelligence assessment sheds new light on Putin's role and the inner workings of the Kremlin, even as it holds the Russian president ultimately responsible for the opposition leader's fate.

Russian officials have denied any involvement in Navalny's death, which they claim was from natural causes. The death occurred shortly before Putin's landslide reelection to a fifth term as president in March 2023. While the U.S. intelligence report does not absolve Putin of responsibility, it suggests a complex decision-making process within the Kremlin and the challenges of definitively attributing such actions to Russia's top leader.

Key Takeaways

• U.S. intel found no evidence Putin ordered Navalny's death in Feb 2023.
• Navalny, a Putin critic, died in prison serving a 19-year sentence.
• Biden had blamed Putin's "thugs" for Navalny's death, but no "smoking gun".
• Navalny's death strained U.S.-Russia ties, but report suggests complex Kremlin.
• Russia denies involvement, claims Navalny's death was from natural causes.