Over the years, political opponents, intelligence operatives, and journalists critical of the Kremlin have been targets of attacks and assassination attempts. This article examines some of the significant cases involving Kremlin foes.
In August 2020, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny fell ill on a flight, and subsequent investigations confirmed that he was poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok. Navalny, who has faced multiple politically motivated charges, survived the attack but was later convicted and sentenced to prison.
Former intelligence officers Alexander Litvinenko and Sergei Skripal also fell victim to poisoning. Litvinenko, a defector, died in London in 2006 after ingesting radioactive polonium-210. Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with Novichok in Salisbury, England, in 2018.
Several journalists critical of the Kremlin have also been targeted. Anna Politkovskaya, known for her reporting on human rights abuses in Chechnya, was shot and killed in 2006. Yuri Shchekochikhin, who investigated corruption and the 1999 apartment bombings, died suddenly in 2003.
These incidents highlight the dangers faced by those who challenge the Russian government and its leadership, with critics often alleging the involvement of Russian authorities in such attacks.
