Vladimir Putin’s ‘assassination targets’ revealed in chilling new documents | World

Recently declassified US intelligence documents have revealed chilling details about Vladimir Putinalleged use of assassinations against political enemies, including critics and dissidents, during his 25 years in power.

A memorandum published by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) suggests that Putin “likely authorizes the assassinations of high-profile figures abroad.”

I’m adding this Russia uses its intelligence services to attack people considered a threat to Putin’s regime.

The report concludes with a “high level of confidence” based on Russian statements and findings by foreign governments where the killings occurred.

Document obtained after years of efforts by Bloomberg journalist as part of the mandatory declassification review, it names several prominent figures who were likely murdered on the Kremlin’s orders.

One of the first cases cited is the murder of Chechen separatist leader Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev in Qatar in 2004.

Russian military intelligence officers convicted in the attack were later repatriated Russiawhere they disappeared from the prison system.

The most infamous cases include Alexander Litvinenko, a former FSB officer who died in London in 2006 after being poisoned by radioactive polonium-210.

Litvinenko, a staunch critic of the Kremlin, has fled to Britain and is reportedly on MI6’s payroll.

A British investigation into his death concluded that Putin “probably approved” the killing.

The report again raises the issue of the mysterious death of Alexander Perepilichny, a Russian businessman who collapsed in Surrey in 2012.

He was to testify about a Kremlin-linked tax fraud network. US intelligence now says he was “reportedly assassinated using a biological toxin.”

The document also identified other targets, including Oleksandr Bednov, the leader of Ukrainian separatists murdered in 2015 as a result of resisting Kremlin orders.

The declassified report sheds light on specific cases, but also points to dozens of mysterious deaths linked to Putin’s regime.

High-profile figures such as opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who reportedly died in Russian custody, and Evgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner Group who died in a plane crash in 2023, are just some examples of people who have likely been silenced.

The full list of “attack targets” is below:

Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev (2004)

Role: Former leader of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria.

Cause: Murdered in Qatar by Russian GRU officers.

Alexander Litvinenko (2006)

Role: Former FSB officer and Kremlin critic.

Cause: Poisoned by radioactive polonium-210 in London.

Alexander Perepilichny (2012)

Role: Russian businessman.

Reason: allegedly poisoned by a biological toxin in the UK shortly before testifying in a Kremlin-linked tax fraud case.

Alexander Bednow (2015)

Role: Ukrainian separatist leader critical of the Kremlin.

Cause: Killed on the Kremlin’s orders UkraineDonbas region.

Alexei Navalny (2023)

Role: Putin’s most important political opponent.

Cause: Supposedly died in the Arctic Wolf prison in the Russian Arctic after being forced to spend many hours in the freezing cold.

Yevgeny Prigozhin (2023)

Role: leader of the Wagner Group and former ally of Putin.

Cause: died in a private jet crash after a rebellion against the Kremlin.

Alexei Zimin (2023)

Role: Russian TV chef and Putin critic.

Reason: Found dead in a hotel in Belgrade under unclear circumstances.

Vladimir Egorov (2023)

Role: A wealthy Russian politician and Putin’s ally.

Cause: He fell from a third-floor window in Moscow.

Anna Carewa (2023)

Role: Deputy editor of the Kremlin propaganda newspaper.

Cause: She was found dead in her Moscow home, almost a year after the death of her boss, Vladimir Sungorkin.

Marina Jankina (2023)

Role: Russia’s top defense official and head of financial support for the Ministry of Defense’s Western Military District.

Cause: she fell from a height of 50 meters and died in St. Petersburg.

Zoya Konovalova (2023)

Role: editor-in-chief of a state-owned television channel nearby Ukrainefront lines.

Reason: found dead next to her ex-husband, suspected poisoning.