11:17, 6 January 2021

Air flights of law enforcers from Grozev's investigation coincide with hunt for Doku Umarov

Khristo Grozev, a journalist-investigator from the Bellingcat. Photo: REUTERS/Hannah McKay

The special intelligence agents, whom journalists have linked to the attempt on Alexei Navalny, had flown to Northern Caucasus before the poisoning of the militant leader, Doku Umarov, in 2013, and in 2017, during the preparations of his remains for transportation, the materials of Khristo Grozev, a Bellingcat's investigator, assert.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on September 25, 2017, law enforcement sources announced the detection of the remains of Doku Umarov, the leader of the "Imarat Kavkaz", a terrorist organization, in Ingushetia. The sources also said that Umarov was poisoned in 2013 during a law enforcers' special operation, and his remains were transported from Ingushetia to Moscow "with special precaution measures due to the high toxicity thereof."

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny fell into a coma after being poisoned at the Omsk airport. He regained consciousness in Berlin, where he was taken for medical treatment.

The authors of the journalistic investigation conducted after the poisoning of Alexei Navalny have concluded that Alexei was poisoned by a group of Russian law enforcers. Khristo Grozev, a journalist-investigator from the Bellingcat, has suggested that the special group was hunting not only for Navalny and could carry out special missions in Northern Caucasus.

The investigation conducted by Khristo Grozev about the travels of the alleged poisoners of Alexei Navalny, posted for free access, is actively commented on by Internet users. On January 2, 2021, one of them noted that before 2014, judging by the travel itineraries, some of the members of the group "were engaged in 'cleansing' Northern Caucasus from militants on the eve of the Sochi Winter Olympics." He also noted that "the travels to Makhachkala and Grozny ended in 2017, after the detection of Doku Umarov's body."

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on January 6, 2021 at 07:37 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.