Like a bolt from the blue, Russia was struck by the video bombshell uploaded on YouTube by Alexei Navalny’s group, according to which the Russian opposition leader was killed on the orders of President Putin on the eve of a prisoner swap during which he was to be released.

The Russian opposition leader was to be released in exchange for an FSB (the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, formerly the KGB) assassin imprisoned in Germany, according to Politico.

Navalny’s associates claim that wealthy businessman Roman Abramovich had brokered his release in a swap with an FSB agent, but the Kremlin strongman would rather blow it all up in order to get rid of his “number one” enemy once and for all.

In a video posted on YouTube, under the title: “Why did Putin kill Navalny now?”, the close ally of the Russian opposition politician, Maria Pevtsikh, said that after months of intensive talks on a prisoner exchange involving Navalny, “in the spring of last year our plan was approved.”

Navalny was supposed to be free in the next few days because we had reached a decision on his exchange, she said.

She added that the Russian oligarch, Roman Abramovich, had acted as a personal liaison between Western officials and Putin to reach a prisoner exchange agreement.

Pevchikh also said the deal included Vadim Krasikov, an FSB agent jailed in Germany for the 2019 murder of a former Chechen commander, and two American citizens.

She said she had received confirmation on February 15 that such an exchange was to take place, but understood that Putin changed his mind afterwards.

“Since they are willing to exchange Krashikov in principle, then I just have to get rid of the bargaining chip – Navalny,” Pevchikh said, interpreting Putin’s moves.

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“Later, I will offer someone else when the time comes,” she stressed.

“It’s absolutely absurd, we’re talking about the behavior of a crazy mafioso.

But the point is that Putin has gone mad with hatred for Navalny,” Pevtsikh added.

The Kremlin did not immediately comment on the allegations by the group of associates of the late Russian opposition leader