Alleged poisoning of Alexei Navalny


 * Photo of Alexey, Kira, Ilya and Pasha, posted Aug. 31, 2020, made during filming of a video critical of local authorities.

August, 2020
Navalnyi was hospitalized in Omsk on August 20, 2020 (noted: FWIW, Lev Trotsky assassination  attack occurred on August, 20 1940 in Mexico).

FBK director Ivan Zhdanov: transport police found (somewhere) a dangerous substance, which is dangerous not just for Navalnyi but also for others, and told the doctors in Omsk what the substance is. Doctors in Omsk say that no poison is found in Navalnyi's organism, and that there is a diagnosis which they provided to Navalnyi's wife. (Navalnyi's spokeswoman say those are symptoms, not diagnosis). Doctors said to be opposed to transfer Navalnyi to a German medical plane which arrived to Omsk. --Resup (talk) 09:33, 21 August 2020 (UTC)

Doctor Murakhovsky: Navalnyi's condition is unstable -critical, we are against transporting him. Chemicals not found in biological tissues. Chemical send for analysis is taken from skin or clothes, and is found to be common industrial chemical, present eg in plastic cups. “Today we have working diagnoses. The main one is carbohydrate dis-balance, that is, a metabolic disorder. --Resup (talk) 10:37, 21 August 2020 (UTC)

Substance found is 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate --Resup (talk) 13:48, 21 August 2020 (UTC)
 * Omsk chief physician: “2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate” was found on Navalny’s clothes - en24news.com, August 21

Former FIA rep (company which sent the plane) talks about some rules and details of medical evacuations --Resup (talk) 12:41, 21 August 2020 (UTC)

It is said that Omsk doctors agreed to release Navalnyi from the hospital, under personal responsibility of his relatives, to be taken abroad on the waiting plane. Navalnyi's people are reporting some progress on the matter without giving details --Resup (talk) 16:10, 21 August 2020 (UTC)
 * Anatoly Kalinichenko, deputy chief physician of the Omsk emergency hospital No. 1. "We do not object to his transfer to another hospital, it will not happen overnight, it will happen today. This process [will be preceded by] many medical measures, and a number of legal formalities will be observed." --Resup (talk) 16:23, 21 August 2020 (UTC)

In early morning plane with Navalnyi left Omsk, and later arrived to a clinic in Germany (TASS- clinic arrival photo, shows capsule). A blog post on opposition "Echo Moskvy" publishes a non-politicized account of Boris Teplyh, an anesthesiologist sent to help with the treatment in Omsk. --Resup (talk) 13:31, 22 August 2020 (UTC)
 * In the follow up interview Boris Teplyh said that : his role was to compensate the symptoms. He is not a toxicologist, and that was the role of others involved. His team asked whether there are external factors to consider (like toxins); the answer was that nothing was found. He confirmed that atropine was administered twice, and said that correctness of dosage is something to consider, but it was felt that atropine does not improve the symptoms (or maybe make them worse), and further dosages were not administered. He is not sure whether colinsterase levels in blood were checked, and explained that his question in that area was whether there is anything at all on toxicological side which he needs to know; but he was told that nothing is found. He said that presently it is not clear what was found in Charite, and it is possible, in principle, that they see something that they were unable to see based on equipment and methodology available to them. He cannot say more as it is not known what is found by Charite.
 * First guest of the program said that atropine was given by the ambulance driver. --Resup (talk) 12:40, 25 August 2020 (UTC)

[https://www.mk.ru/incident/2020/08/21/otslezhen-ves-marshrut-navalnogo-pered-otravleniem-on-kupalsya.html The entire route of Navalny before the poisoning has been tracked. He was swimming] - Moskovskii Komsomolets, 22 August, 2020

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgE-DV-9z7E News about Navalny. Prigogine's threats. "Smart voting"] -Liubov Sobol, Navalnyi Live, YouTube, 27 August, 2020
 * Liubov Sobol attacks/criticizes Prigozhin; she has another court case where apparently he is suing her for calling him a bandit, not asking for monetary damages; Sobol repeats some grounds of her claim/past investigations/etc.
 * Kira Yarmysh: At the airport, Navalnyi's assistant did not bring him tea, he bought water for himself, tea was brought by a girl waiter (she does not blame her). She did not notice anything wrong prior to him having discomfort on the plane, leaving for bathroom, and collapsing in the kitchenette area nearby where stewards keep/prepare food. She said that before arrival to hospital ambulance medics and maybe a medic on a plane trying to help told her that it appears to be poisoning but he is hopefully going to be alright.


 * At Omsk clinic, she was told that poisoning is a very serious suspicion and they want to exclude other things first; and if she insists (she did), it must be reported to the police. Police was called and soon arrived.
 * Doctors promised test results in 2 hours; then another two hours; then this apparently did not materialize. Police first asked to search for some pills in Navalnyi's closes; apparently it was refused; later they said they will confiscate all his clothes; but Navalnyi's wife declined the request, apparently took them herself, saying it belongs to her as his wife. She has a number of other complaints and suspicions, critical of how it was handled, etc. --Resup (talk) 05:38, 28 August 2020 (UTC)

Russian Elections, 13 September 2020

 * Wikipedia
 * vybor-naroda.org: Navalnyi's supporters are running in local elections in Novosibirsk and Tomsk.
 * Smart Vote: Navalnyi's run website where those registered will receive recommendations whom to vote for, in order to have best chances against the leading party "United Russia". It is unclear how many are presently registered. The effect of this in 2019 is discussed in Wikipedia (estimated at 7%; while Nvalnyi's himself is quoted saying that "several hundred thousands" registered at his website). Apparently in elections in Khabarovsk, a number of Smart Vote-backed candidates won.

In earlier elections, pro-Western opposition was unable to agree on united candidate(s); in particular Yabloko did not back such attempts.

July 2020: some info-resources promoted the idea that "Smart Vote" project is illegal as it is backed by Navalnyi's FBK and other resources which has been listed as "foreign agents." --Resup (talk) 07:03, 23 August 2020 (UTC)

14 Sep. Navalnyi supporters are loudly claiming their candidates election victories in Tomsk and Novosibirsk city councils, cities Navalnyi visited, and attributed to "Smart Vote" effect. (Those claims may have basis but appear to precede the official results announced)-1, 2, 3, 4. It remains to be seen what effects of those councilors will be, if they are confirmed; so far this is anti-corruption and fair elections campaigns aimed at getting elected.

Omsk and other Russian clinics statements
Apparently they knew about low cholinesterase but has not found cholinesterase inhibitors (ie "toxin" which caused that) - if everything being said is to be believed. --Resup (talk) 23:27, 25 August 2020 (UTC)
 * Omsk doctors did not detect cholinesterase inhibitors in Navalny - TASS, August 24, 2020
 * '' Cholinesterase inhibitors, the detection of which in the blood of Alexei Navalny was announced by the Berlin clinic Charite, were not identified during his examination in Omsk.
 * ''Head of the acute poisoning department of the Omsk emergency hospital No. 1, the chief toxicologist of the Omsk region and the Siberian Federal District, Alexander Sabaev.
 * ''“Upon admission to the hospital, Alexei Navalny underwent studies on a wide range of narcotic, synthetic substances, psychodiletics and medicinal substances, including cholinesterase inhibitors. As stated earlier, we are ready to share with our German colleagues samples of the biomaterial of Alexei Navalny for their comprehensive study, "he said.
 * The Kremlin sees no reason for a criminal investigation into what happened to Navalny- TASS, August 25, 2020 (fuller version - Echo Moskvy).
 * Peskov: ''“The fact of lowered cholinesterase was established by our doctors in the first hours in the hospital in Omsk, and atropine, which the Germans talk about and which they are now doing to the patient, began to be administered in the first hour of the patient’s stay in intensive care,” said Peskov.
 * ''At the same time, a Kremlin spokesman noted that this is medical information. "We just called and asked the doctors what it is at all? None of us knows. A normal person does not know the word cholinesterase at all. Until yesterday, I also did not know what it is," he admitted.

Leading Russian Sklifosovskii medical research institute/clinic: MS investigation of bodily fluids did not show organophospahtes or cholinesterase inhinitors. Investigation was conducted using US- -made MS and "US national institute of standardization database of chemicals with 240,000 entries"
 * This apparently refers to NIST database, which in its public version on the web presently does not seem to have Nov-k entries

...''and no other foreign traces of unknown substances were found that are not included in the "library of this equipment" (RIA, Sep. 3, 2020).

Russian highly respected children's doctor Leonid Roshal appeals to the German medical chamber for a joint investigation (RT, video, Sep. 3, 2020). Text of the Russian medical chamber appeal to its German counterpart is here.
 * (Yulia Navalnaya opposes, stand-offish, although it's not about right of treatment, it's about docs-to-docs professional discussions --which may also lead to starting criminal investigation in Russia, or not --and which should not be really for her to try to prevent...But this is unfortunately an illustration of the present state of affairs, and feelings, between opposition and the government, which has been developing for quite a while...She was making similarly abrupt public comments while he was in Omsk clinic too. FWIW.) --Resup (talk) 18:31, 6 September 2020 (UTC)
 * At least Roshal went to hostage-takers on Dubrovka and brought out 8 children alive and a body of a woman killed there. In addition to being a life-long pediatrician. And treating a severely wounded kid in Donbass, early on. I am not sure what is that he did to get Yulia's comments. He did participate in proposing constitutional amendments and backing those they proposed. Maybe he was not supposed to, as in the eyes of liberal opposition it was a scheme to prolong Putin's presidency. But, his amendments were about affordable health care anyplace in Russia, not about politics. Among all amendments those were probably best justified. He was practicing his profession, the best way he could under the circumstances; health care in Russia is mostly by the state, and he could not really make healthcare better without engaging the state and telling what and how needs to be developed. (And what's Yulia's professional record, in practical terms, for comparison?) --Resup (talk) 10:00, 7 September 2020 (UTC)
 * German medical association: a new medical examination of Navalnyi is only possible with relatives' permission (TASS). (Seems to be taking protracted Yushenko/Skripal/etc track...) --Resup (talk) 10:45, 7 September 2020 (UTC)

Charite clinic

 * Statement by the Charité: Clinical findings indicate that Alexei Navalny was poisoned - August 24, 2020
 * ''Since the weekend, doctors from the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin have been treating Alexei Navalny. The patient is in an intensive care unit and is still in an artificial coma. His health is serious, but there is currently no acute danger to his life.
 * ''The team of doctors examined the patient in detail after his arrival. The clinical findings indicate intoxication by a substance from the group of active substances called cholinesterase inhibitors. The specific substance is not yet known and a further wide-ranging analysis has been initiated. The effect of the toxin, ie the inhibition of cholinesterase in the organism, has been proven several times in independent laboratories.
 * ''According to the diagnosis, the patient is treated with the antidote atropine. The outcome of the disease remains uncertain and long-term consequences, especially in the area of ​​the nervous system, cannot be ruled out at this point in time.
 * ''The treating doctors are in close contact with Alexei Navalny's wife. In agreement with his wife, the Charité assumes that the public communication on the state of health is in his interest.

--Resup (talk) 14:49, 24 August 2020 (UTC)

"Clinical findings" is a poorly defined term. It can mean doctor's observations (with no or simple tools). It can perhaps mean results of a lab study but there are no details on that at all. Perhaps bending this a bit, or not, let's say he was examined by a doctor who found something like the stuff below. And it all made huge headlines, ahead of time, to be fully sorted years later. It is unclear whether this is indeed the case but it's not excluded. Also noted, those findings are similar to that of Verzilov (giving some weight towards simple methods). In his case it appears to be poisoning but details were never established (in his own version of the events)


 * Cholinesterase Inhibitors adverse clinical effects:

''A major concern when prescribing cholinesterase inhibitors or exposure to organophosphates is potentially developing a cholinergic crisis, also known as SLUDGE syndrome.

''SLUDGE is a mnemonic that stands for the following: S: Salivation L: Lacrimation U: UrinationD: Diaphoresis G: Gastrointestinal upset E: Emesis


 * medicinenet.com:

Some common side effects or adverse events of cholinesterase inhibitors are: Nausea. Vomiting. Diarrhea. Muscle cramps. Weight loss. Headache. Insomnia. Abnormal dreams.

--Resup (talk) 15:46, 24 August 2020 (UTC)

''The effect of the toxin, ie the inhibition of cholinesterase in the organism, has been proven several times in independent laboratories.

This is pretty ambiguous too, It can be read as that it is proven that such and such toxin inhibits cholinesterase (in "organism" in general). And yet they do not know exactly what the toxin is? This then does not look consistent, Or unclear how could they establish precisely what they claim to establish. Inhibition is supposedly something which happens in the organism (in vivo), how can they establish such effect in a lab (in vitro), yet not knowing what the toxin is ? Something does not work for me well in this description. --Resup (talk) 19:54, 24 August 2020 (UTC)

Do they mean that he has too high choline? (Why not to say so, and can it come about not because of a "toxin"?) Or acetylcholine (the latter may not go well with being in coma). --Resup (talk) 22:49, 24 August 2020 (UTC)

There is a standard test which measures cholinesterase concentration in blood; low level may mean intoxication by phosporoorganics but also has a host of other causes including some diseases, miorelaxants, etc --Resup (talk) 06:15, 25 August 2020 (UTC)

Vladimir "Novichok" Uglev comments to BBC here in Rus. , 17.15 time stamp. Another piece by the same man, here. --Resup (talk) 20:06, 24 August 2020 (UTC)

Valerii Soloviev: me too.

RT: “In Alexei Navalny case, a wide range of narcotic, synthetic substances, psychodileptics and medicinal substances, including cholinesterase inhibitors were investigated - the result was negative,” said Alexander Sabaev, chief toxicologist of the Omsk Region and the Siberian Federal District. --Resup (talk) 20:18, 24 August 2020 (UTC)

Anastasia Vasilieva is an ophthalmologist, activist and is said to be Navalnyi's "personal doctor", is apparently claiming that atropin was administered in Omsk clinic (I am not sure whether she was there, and if so when she arrived; and they tend to "over- emphasize".) Somebody is dark-humoring on Nivalin for Navalnyi --Resup (talk) 20:42, 24 August 2020 (UTC)

Charité press report 3, August 28, 2020
 * ''There has been some improvement in the symptoms caused by the inhibition of cholinesterase activity. Mr. Navalny continues to be treated in an intensive care unit, where he is being kept in a medically induced coma and on a ventilator. While his condition remains serious, there is no immediate danger to his life. However, due to the severity of the patient’s poisoning, it remains too early to gauge potential long-term effects.

SPIEGEL: Navalny’s healers ask German army about used poison – World -MBS News, August 28, 2020
 * An inquiry was also made to the British Center for Chemical and Biological Weapons in Porton Down and the Bellingcat platform, which investigated the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Julia in March 2018.
 * SPIEGEL reported a few days ago that German doctors have also sought information from Bulgarian colleagues who treated Emelian Gebrev after the assassination attempt on him in 2015, which is believed to be the work of Russian military intelligence officers and is suspected of being a nerve agent. from the group “Newbie”.

The inquiry from “Sharite” to the Bundeswehr is discreet, say “SPIEGEL”. It was sent to a high-security complex in Munich, where there is a pharmaceutical and toxicology laboratory. It employs Germany’s best specialists in poisoning and chemical weapons. But because the case is highly politicized, authorities refuse to confirm or deny that scientists in uniform are working on it.
 * The publication also states that the special capsule in which Navalny was transported from Russia to Germany was provided by the Bundeswehr. It has its own ventilation system and is used as insurance to prevent the introduction of a substance dangerous to the environment into the country.

Sep. 7. Yarmysh: ''News about Alexey. Today he was taken out of an artificial coma. Gradually he will be disconnected from the ventilator. He responds to speech and calls to him.'' (Charite update here).

Sep. 15. "Hello I am Navalnyi" (lit. this is Navalnyi) on his Instagram.

Sep. 19. Second post and a static photo on Navalnyi's Instagram by himself (or from the first person), describing initially being unable to speak or recognize others. No tracheotomy. Walking down some stairs.

Other patients of the same clinic
Petr Verzilov. Shown on a photo from the clinic here with ex-wife Nadezhda Tolokonnikova of the Pussy Riot.
 * What happened to Petr Verzilov. Chronology and versions - Media Zona, 20 September, 2018

Yushenko?' - a recent account as claimed by Oleg Tsarev (VK). Noted, most accounts talks about his treatment at another clinic, Rudolfinerhaus, in Austria; it is not clear whether Tsarev account is accurate in details, and I could not find report he quotes. But the gist of it is traced in the news, below.
 * Caution - danger! - Oleg Tsarev voiced sensational information about the German clinic to which Navalny was brought - Rusvesna, 22 August, 2020
 * Yushchenko has not provided blood for a second test in Ukraine. He took it only at the Charité clinic at the very beginning.
 * Vladimir Sivkovich: "Yushchenko's poisoning was falsified" - RIA, 9 and 19 April, 2018
 * Rada terminated investigation of Yushchenko's poisoning - Pravo (law) .ru, 13 April, 2010
 * 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) poisoning in Victor Yushchenko: identification and measurement of TCDD metabolites - The Lancet, 374, 2009. (Not the same clinic).
 * Rada refused to terminate the activities of the commission to investigate the poisoning of Yushchenko- Korrespondent.net (Ukraine), 16 December, 2009
 * Rada Commission demands to repeat Yushchenko's poisoning tests - Korrespondent.net (Ukraine), 24 November, 2009
 * Rada Commission Declares Yushchenko's Poisoning a Falsification - lenta.ru (Russian lightly pro-western opposition- leaning resource), 23 September, 2009
 * Operation "Dioxin"- Rossiiskaia Gazeta, 21 September, 2009
 * The mystery of Yushchenko's diagnosis Sensational confessions of the head of the commission of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine - Rossiiskaya Gazeta, 18 November, 2005
 * Posioning timeline - Kommersant, 14 December, 2004
 * Observation of an Extremely High Dioxin Level in a Human Serum Sample from Ukraine by Dr Calux, which was confirmed to be 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin by GC-HRMS” - Brouwer, A., Botschuiver, S., Veerhoek, D., Besselink, H.A., Hamm, S., Traag, W., Zimpfer, M., Organohalogen Compounds 67, 1705-1708 (2005) 25th International Symposium on Halogenated Environmental Organic Pollutants and POPs, Dioxin 2005, August 21-26, 2005, Toronto, Canada. (Not the same clinic).

--Resup (talk) 20:19, 22 August 2020 (UTC)

Cui bono?

 * Russia?
 * Alexandr Baunov, a journalist, Echo Moskvy, August 24, 2020
 * Navalny is an element, on the one hand, of domestic politics, and on the other, of a great geopolitical confrontation. Who is in charge of our internal politics? Sergei Vladilenovich Kiriyenko - can we imagine, even for a moment, him ordering the murder of Navalny?  (Rhetoric question meaning a no).
 * '' If the task was to clearly cut off Navalny from the outside world, it would have been easier to jail him in 2013. Actually, he was already jailed in 2013. M. Myers― And they released the next morning. A. Baunov. The next day. At the request of the prosecutor's office. After that, he was helped to collect signatures for the mayoral elections in Moscow. Under...Volodin, who was then responsible for domestic politics, it was considered useful. And brutal repression against Navalny was considered harmful.
 * ''But there is still a big geopolitical confrontation. There are external enemies and Alexei Navalny is, of course, one of their tools. Firstly, Vladimir Putin himself deals with external enemies, and secondly, intelligence and counterintelligence. This is a different matter. This is a more dangerous story. And the oppositionist - he is considered as someone else's instrument, an instrument of external enemies.

Belarus events should unexpected strength of protests. That could be seen as dangerous, security/stability -wise, to repeat in Russia, with local elections providing some upcoming opportunity, even as domestic policies were to ignore or talk down the opposition, and to allow its participation, in a managed way.


 * The West?

"Russian interference" is in danger of collapsing in the public space prior to November, at least in one version of the events. A substitute may be needed for mass perception, as well as a tool to keep geopolitical pressure on Russia, and keep exploiting internal difficulties such policies create

--Resup (talk) 10:51, 26 August 2020 (UTC)

However, Russia had much simpler ways to counter threat poised by Navalnyi at the upcoming elections. "Smart vote" website could be blocked, eg on the grounds of alleged foreign funding of Navalnyi's FBK (while disabling Navalnyi personally does not stop "smart vote" project). Alexey and his FBK colleagues were already in a serious funding problem created by court decisions (slander). He could be quite easily imprisoned for something if so seriously desired. Thus Russia's involvement needs some sort of panic attack temporarily overwhelming authorities, or irrational actions against own best interests, or (unlikely) roque actions. Russia's action will require somebody giving an order, it won't be happening just by itself, and something would need to go wrong for such an order. Circumstantial evidence against Russia's involvement is an almost-repeat of the Skripal's event (lack of variation + doing the thing which worked badly for Russia again).

Russia's case is not helped though by incomplete and problematic investigation of Boris Nemtsov murder ; of Verzilov event; and not super-aggressively investigating here. Certainly opposition is scoring points pointing out various related difficulties. If things are getting staged, I do not see enough assertiveness (+level of detail) to stick this back to those doing it. This may be the case when work habits of the leadership is not working best to address the issues at hand. So far it is along the lines of marginalizing both Navalnyi and the event; but there is no reason not to treat those two things differently (even if Navalnyi is marginal, a supposedly false flag attack on him need not to be). --Resup (talk) 12:15, 5 September 2020 (UTC)

Official comments

 * Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the European Union Comments on the situation with Alexey Navalny, September 15, 2020

Individual comments

 * Evgenii Prigozhin, August 26, 2020
 * Prigozhin- affiliated company, "Moscow Pupil", won a court judgment against Navalnyi's FBK, with financial penalties which forced FBK's announced closure. Prigozhin offered to pay off this debt, which was declined. After Navalnyi's hospitalization, Prigozhin reportedly offered to cover costs of Navalnyi's treatment in Russia; later announced that he buys off "Moscow Pupil" debt so that from now on Navalnyi and FBK's Liubov Sobol' will have to deal with himself.
 * In follow-up comments here, he first tries to place the blame on the West on Navalnyi himself. He then chooses to make the comment below:
 * ''Many questions come up, what will I do next in relation to FBK. I answer immediately as fully as possible to close this topic. I really hope that Navalny will stay alive. Otherwise, there will be no one to "cut off the meat piece by piece." We will agree with Liuba Sobol', although some suggest taking her into sexual slavery)). Regarding FBK, of course, I will take all legal actions during which the world will see how Navalny and his hangers-on obtained their information, how they distorted and falsified it. And also who and when was the customer of his pseudo-investigations, including his Western masters. I can separately say that recently a lot of information about the illegal activities of FBK has been sent to the mail of the Concord company press service. "
 * Pro-Western opposition noticed (eg here and elsewhere).

This is apparently playing off Shakespearean "pound of flesh" and trying to be humorous, but not everybody is amused.

last updated: --Resup (talk) 10:40, 27 August 2020 (UTC)

Western military labs

 * bundesregierung.de, September 2, 2020
 * ...der Nowitschok-Gruppe...

Isotopic fine mass structure : Bruker prospectus
 * From an article on Syria, 2013 study: The HPLC system was connected to a Maxis Impact quadrupole time-of-flight (QTOF) mass spectrometer (Bruker Daltonics, Bremen, Germany)  (etc); 4 authors are from the Bundeswehr Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology.

The Bundeswehr refused to clarify the conclusions about the poisoning of Navalny. They noted that this is due to reasons of secrecy TASS, RT. (Note some earlier details by well-connected, though technically catastrophically illiterate Venedictov).

Leonid "Novichok-selling" Rink thinks symptoms do not match; mentions control samples in Russia; repeats that Russian doctors used antidote (atropine use was reported), but it was not doing any/much good and was stopped (that's what Russian doc, above, said). Rink calls this "a political nonsense" -RIA, September 2, 2020 (elsewhere attributed to him comment says that it evaporates well at 20 degrees C and somebody else will be hurt. But Germans did not say "Nk", they said "Nk-group" (which may be too broad, potentially; also details, amounts are not provided; etc)--Resup (talk) 18:29, 2 September 2020 (UTC)
 * Comments

Vladimir "Novichok" Uglev:
 * ... "Novichok" unsuitable for individual use (without hurting others)
 * "Poisoned underwear"...
 * At the time of their work, they had doctors' instruction prohibiting atropine and saying it will make it worse (he is unsure how things changed since)....

'' "Alexey Navalny was on his so-called working trip with his press secretary Kira Yarmysh. The second accompanying Navalny was a certain Maria Pevchikh. The latter arrived not so long ago from the country where the fictional story about "Novichok" and the Skripals was born." '' ---here. (This probably has not to do with it and is part of Russian "Skripal's cat" lore...).

--Resup (talk) 05:58, 3 September 2020 (UTC)

Vil "the Novichok" Mirzayanov, "Echo Moskvt, September 9, 2020
 * Basically, if the lab found Novichok in the sample, then it was in the sample. (Yes. --Resup (talk) 17:01, 9 September 2020 (UTC) )
 * As we saw in Skripal case; with respect to biomed samples, terminology like indicates or is consistent with can be used which don't strictly imply the presence of a particular agent in a sample. --Diagonal (talk) 14:23, 10 September 2020 (UTC)

Water bottle

 * Germany Finds Nerve Agents in Navalny’s Blood, Skin, Urine, Water Bottle – Spiegel - The Moscow Times, with a link to Spiegel, September 4, 2020

Navalanyi's press secretary Kira Yarmysh said that Navalnyi only drank tea at the airport during his trip from hotel to the plane and while on the plane. There were 3 people traveling (the 3d is Ilia, a male assistant). Kira stated on video that tea and coffee was brought to them by an airport waitress, not by Ilia. Ilia bought a bottle of packed water for himself at the airport. While in flight, Navalnyi opened laptop to watch something (after telling Kira he did not download a movie for his flight and will be bored). He then said he did not feel well and asked her to talk to him. Illuminator was closed and she could not see him well. But at some point she noticed he is pale white. Yet responding pretty normally so far. At this point, airline beverage trolley was passing them. Kira asked him whether some water will do any good. He declined. Then went to a bathroom soon after.

Also noted: (1) he probably would not take a water bottle brought from elsewhere on his flight, as it will presumably buzz on the preflight screening (2) If he drank the thing from a bottle, it would be absorbed more quickly then through skin, and he would likely collapse before boarding the plane (3) the above paragraphs have apparently mismatching claims on the water bottle already

--Resup (talk) 22:04, 4 September 2020 (UTC)


 * Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the European Union Comments on the situation with Alexey Navalny, September 15, 2020
 * What is behind the story of the “bottle of water”, ostensibly with traces of poison on it? No CCTV or photo evidence shows Mr.Navalny using it before departure at Tomsk airport. If used before that or aboard the Moscow-bound plane, how did it get to Berlin?

17 September. A video is posted by somebody on Navalnyi Instagram site, claiming that water bottle and (some) other stuff was collected from Navalnyi's hotel room in Tomsk, about an hour after the news of the event. They brought "an attorney" with them. It is said that it was decided to collected those items in order to give them to "doctors in Germany". On the video, it heard that a woman (not seen) is saying that hotel director did not allow them to take any items, until a permission is given, but a man replies that "they cannot follow this one". They discuss and film taking bottles, one of which is open, and say they did not touch it without gloves. There is not much discussion of other collected items.

Leonid Rink: "all bottles are the same", no way to tell whether bottle in Germany is the one from hotel; if "Novichok" was on the bottle, Navalnyi and anyone touching it without gloves/protection will die.

Apparently the claim is that it was on the bottle, not inside? If inside, and he drank it, it will supposedly act fast not giving time to get to the airport. If on the outside, apparently there would be significant chance of contamination in the room and on his way to airport?

[https://www.bbc.com/russian/features-54204627 "The news was happening before my eyes." Interview with Maria Pevchikh, the most mysterious employee of Alexei Navalnyi] - BBC, September 18, 2020

Belarus KGB reports back
Lukashenko: "Poisoning" of Navalny is a falsification, we intercepted the conversation between Berlin and Warsaw (TASS) (Rusvesna)(Lukashenko's statement video). --Resup (talk) 12:09, 3 September 2020 (UTC)
 * Lukashenko says Minsk intercepted chat proving Navalny’s poisoning was utter fabrication - Tass, September 3, 2020
 * Germany dismisses Lukashenko’s claims Navalny’s poisoning was faked as untrue - Tass, September 3, 2020
 * A recording of negotiations between Berlin and Warsaw on falsification of Navalny's poisoning has been published (AUDIO) Rusvesna, TASS, September 4, 2020
 * Conversation between some Nick in Berlin and Mike in Warsaw, with Berlin saying that "materials about Navalnyi are ready and will be forwarded to the Chancellor, and her statement is expected". Warsaw is asking whether poisoning is confirmed. Response is, "look, Mike, this is not so important. There is a war going on, and all methods are fine during a war", etc
 * Audio has Russian voice-over translation of a conversation in English, practically blocking the latter and not giving clues or allows to actually hear the original well.
 * There is something of note about English of the man in Berlin, but I can't quite nail what is it.
 * Belarus services are, one may say, a throw back from the Soviet era, and are probably fairly "old fashioned" about things. --Resup (talk) 20:48, 4 September 2020 (UTC)

Russian pre-investigation

 * Pre-investigation check in connection with Navalny's hospitalization continues -headquarters for transport, Russian MoI, Siberian Federal District, September 11, 2020
 * Police: Alexei Navalny drank wine and alcoholic cocktails in Tomsk -tomsk.ru, September 11, 2020 (and similar reports in Russian media)
 * During the pre-investigation check, transport police for the Siberian Federal District have restored the chronology of the stay of Navalny and the persons accompanying him in the city of Tomsk and the Tomsk region. The route of their movement, social circle, as well as places of residence and visit have been established. Among them are the Xander Hotel with the Velvet restaurant, a rented apartment where a working meeting of Navalny's supporters took place, the Vienna Coffee House at the airport in Tomsk. According to the data obtained, it was in those listed places that A.A. Navalny ate food and drinks, including wine and alcoholic cocktails
 * To date, police have interviewed 5 of 6 Navalny's accompanying persons: Vladlen Los, Georgy Alburov, Ilya Pakhomov, Kira Yarmysh and Pavel Zelensky. In turn, Marina Pevchikh, who lives in Great Britain, who was also with the politician, on August 20 avoided giving explanations. Her whereabouts is currently being established.
 * Noted: early reports indicated that alcohol was found in tests, however early reports also included a media leak that his movements were possibly tracked but the source of alcohol was not immediately apparent or established
 * The police said that FBK employee Maria Pevchikh, who accompanied Navalny on a trip to Siberia, avoided testifying. Meduza found out that no one tried to contact her - Meduza, September 11, 2020

Russian independent investigations

 * Poisonous route. Report on what the authorities could have learned about the poisoning of Alexei Navalny if they wanted - proekt.media, Andrey Zakharov, Sonya Groisman, September 10, 2020
 * part 2, ibid., Andrey Zakharov, Roman Badanin, 17 September 2020

Analysis

 * Navalny False-Flag Authors Invent New Twist to Cover Lies - Finian Cunningham, Ron Paul Institute, September 9, 2020
 * THE PEVCHIKH PLOT – NAVALNY BOTTLE, LONDON WITNESS FLEE THE SCENE OF THE CRIME, BERLIN TOO - John Helmer, Dances with Bears, September 14, 2020