The next target of the Kremlin among opposition figures could be the former head of the Yukos company, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who was arrested in absentia and placed on an international wanted list in 2015.
This was reported by the representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, Andriy Yusov, on social media.
"After the murder of Alexei Navalny in prison, according to available information, meetings were held throughout the weekend in the administration of the 'president' and the Russian Gestapo (Russian special services) regarding further actions against other Russian opposition figures," Yusov noted.
According to him, Navalny was perceived in Western countries "as one of the central figures of opposition to the Kremlin regime."
As Yusov emphasized, now, ahead of the upcoming so-called elections of Vladimir Putin, the Russian regime is seeking ways to counteract those political figures who expose the illegitimacy and insignificance of the Kremlin dictator's reappointment.
"In particular, the activities of Mikhail Khodorkovsky are actively discussed, who continues to represent a significant political and media resource critical of the Russian authorities and war criminals," Yusov emphasized.
In addition, discussions are underway regarding possible methods to continue "cleansing" influential figures in the Russian opposition in other countries and the consequences of conducting active operations in the territory of free world countries.
On February 16, it was reported that the Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny died in a Russian prison. Representatives of the prison administration claimed that Navalny fell ill after a walk. Later, it was clarified that the opposition prisoner allegedly suffered from a detached blood clot, which caused cardiac arrest.
Khodorkovsky was twice convicted by a Russian court of committing economic crimes and served 10 years in places of detention. He denied his guilt and called his criminal prosecution politically motivated. In 2013, Khodorkovsky was pardoned by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The businessman left the country to live abroad.