Germany has announced that there is 'unequivocal proof' that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent. Chancellor Angela Merkel stated that he is a victim of attempted murder and called on Russia to provide answers.
Navalny, a prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin, fell ill on a flight from Siberia to Moscow last month and was subsequently flown to Berlin for treatment. He remains in a coma in hospital. His team alleges that the poisoning was ordered by Putin, a claim the Kremlin has denied.
The Kremlin has demanded a full exchange of information from Germany, with foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova complaining that the Novichok allegations lack evidence. The same nerve agent was used in the 2018 poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the UK.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned the attack as 'outrageous', while the European Union and Nato have called for a transparent investigation. The US National Security Council described the suspected poisoning as 'completely reprehensible' and pledged to work with allies to hold those responsible accountable.
Navalny's wife, Yulia Navalnaya, has accused Russian doctors of delaying his transfer to Germany, fearing authorities were waiting for evidence of the poison to disappear. Doctors at Berlin's Charité hospital say his condition is improving but he remains on a ventilator.
