The narrative that Russian dissident Alexei Navalny was murdered by Russian authorities, even involving the Kremlin and/or President Vladimir Putin, was blown to pieces by, of all people, the head of Ukraine’s Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) Kyrylo Budanov, who announced yesterday that he had intelligence that Navalny died of natural causes from a blood clot that broke loose. Russian medical authorities evidently concluded their tests on Navalny’s body no later than Feb. 22, but the results of those tests are evidently still being processed.
However, Budanov told reporters yesterday at a “Year 2024” Forum, as reported by journalists’ agency, hromadske: “I may disappoint you, but we know he died from a blood clot. It’s more or less confirmed.” Upon questioning, he confirmed that Navalny died from natural causes.
While Budanov has boasted of his prowess in psychological warfare—he was the main promoter of the “Putin is dead, you are seeing a body double” rumor—there may be a method to his madness. EIR reported on Feb. 22 that the neo-Nazi Denis Nikitin and his “Russian Volunteer Corps” had claimed sources and contacts with disaffected Russian employees within Navalny’s prison. Budanov’s GUR is the prime agency in Kiev likely to be dealing with Nikitin’s attempted subversions within Russia. It is a real possibility that Russian medical tests will in due course confirm the cause of Navalny’s death. It is possible that Budanov is simply trying to pull the plug on the narrative.
