Ukrainian Intel Chief announces Alexei Navalny died of a blood clot

Despite speculation that Vladimir Putin's opposition leader Alexei Navalny was murdered in prison by the Kremlin, a top spy chief in Ukraine has stated he may have actually "died from a blood clot" just before he was about to be released from that prison north of the Arctic Circle, the Daily Mail reports.

Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine's GUR military intelligence service, told reporters: "I may disappoint you, but what we know is that he really died from a blood clot. And this is more or less confirmed. This was not taken from the Internet, but, unfortunately, a natural [death]."

Navalny, who was serving 19 years in the Arctic Polar Wolf penal colony, was allegedly close to being freed alongside 2 US nationals in a brokered exchange by Roman Abramovich, according to the late anti-corruption activist's team.

Maria Pevchikh, a senior aide for Navalny, said that the 3 were to be exchanged for a Russian FSB security service hitman in jail in Germany right before his passing.

"Roman Abramovich was the one who delivered the proposal to swap Navalny to Putin… as an informal negotiator communicating with American and European officials, and at the same time, representing Putin, an unofficial channel of communication with the Kremlin," she said.

Budanov's claim that Navalny's death was due to natural causes contradicts multiple statements from leaders worldwide that he was the victim of a targeted hit by Russian spies under Putin's direction.

Latvian President Edgar Rinkevics stated: "Whatever you think about Alexei Navalny as a politician, he was just brutally murdered by the Kremlin."

US President Joe Biden said: "Russian authorities are going to tell their own story. But make no mistake. Make no mistake, Putin is responsible for Navalny's death... We don't know exactly what happened, but there is no doubt that the death of Nalvany was a consequence of something that Putin and his thugs did."

"His death in a Russian prison and the fixation and fear of one man only underscores the weakness and rot at the heart of the system that Putin has built," said US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. "Russia is responsible for this."

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson posted on X: "The Russian authorities, and President Putin personally, are responsible for Alexei Navalny no longer being alive."