A new report circulating in the U.S. intelligence community suggests that Russian President Vladimir Putin probably did not directly order the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in a remote Arctic penal colony in February. 

The Details: The assessment, first reported by The Wall Street Journal (Center bias) and later reported by several other outlets, does not absolve Putin of potential involvement. It suggests, however, that Putin likely did not organize the death to coincide with his recent reelection. This assessment is apparently shared by officials at the Central Intelligence Agency, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the State Department's intelligence unit. However, some of Navalny's allies rejected the report, saying Putin was certainly involved in the opposition figure's death.

For Context: Navalny, an outspoken critic of Putin and his administration, was serving time in prison when he suddenly fell ill and died. His death sparked international outcry and led to the introduction of further sanctions against Russia by the West. President Joe Biden, who previously called Putin a “killer,” blamed the Russian leader for Navalny’s death. Navalny’s demise followed his infamous poisoning in 2020, which U.S. officials blamed on the Kremlin.

How the Media Covered It: While news coverage was generally straightforward across the spectrum, some articles framed the story in somewhat slanted ways. For instance, some historically sensational outlets — Daily Beast (Left bias), HuffPost (Left bias), and HotAir (Lean Right bias) — highlighted that a Kremlin official “bizarrely” dismissed the report, which “oddly puts them in agreement with Navalny’s allies.” This summary was developed with the help of AllSides' AI technology.