Opposition politician Alexei Navalny was killed in a colony to prevent his exchange for alleged Russian intelligence officer Vadim Krasikov, sentenced to life in Germany. This was announced by the head of the International Anti-Corruption Foundation, Maria Pevchikh. Let us remind you that Krasikov was found guilty of the murder of the former Chechen field commander Zelimkhan Khangoshvili.

According to Maria Pevchikh, after the start of the war in Ukraine, Navalny’s associates, with the help of investigator Hristo Grozev, began working on the possibility of exchanging him and other political prisoners, in particular for Russian spies. Among the options was an exchange for Krasikov.

“However, Putin interpreted it differently. According to him, if Western countries are ready to change Krasikov, then they will exchange him for someone else, and Navalny needs to be “removed.” On the evening of February 15, I received confirmation that the exchange negotiations were at the final stage. The next day, Navalny’s death was announced in the colony,” Pevchikh said.

Former Chechen field commander Zelimkhan Khangoshvili came to Germany in 2016 and received asylum. His murder took place on August 23, 2019 in Berlin's Little Tiergarten park. According to investigators, Krasikov (aka Sokolov) rode up to the victim on a bicycle and fired two shots. On the same day he was arrested, brought to justice and sentenced to life imprisonment. The media reported that the killer was an FSB officer.