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During his annual press conference on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin lashed out at allegations that Russian authorities were behind the poisoning of regime critic Alexei Navalny.
“If we had stayed behind, we would have finished the job,” Putin said.
The CNN television network and other media have investigated the case, to find out who was behind the poison attack. Navalny was allegedly poisoned twice before becoming seriously ill on August 20.
The first two times the poison doses must have been too small.
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– It is not surprising
Earlier this week, Navalny said that a group from the Russian security services was behind the poisoning. He said there were “too many coincidences” between where he and the people in question had stayed.
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a nerve agent during a visit to Siberia in August. Photo: AP
Laboratories in Germany, France and Sweden have determined that Navalny was poisoned by the Russian neurotoxin novitsjok.
Putin denies the accusations.
– It is not surprising. There have always been such sensational stories about Russia in the Western media, Putin said.
Read also: Navalny claims Putin was behind the poison attack on him
– Know what this is
Putin believes there is no reason to poison Navalny and believes that the US intelligence service is behind the whole case.
– We know what this is. Legalization of special services material from the United States. FSB agents know they are being monitored, Putin said according to the Russian news agency TASS.
Navalny became seriously ill on a domestic flight in Russia on August 20. He fell into a coma and was transferred to Germany for treatment two days later after great international pressure.
