Russian Agents Trailed Opposition Leader Navalny Before Poisoning, Report Finds

Kremlin agents followed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny for years and were nearby just before an attack with a deadly nerve agent almost killed him in August, according to a new report by the research group Bellingcat.

The report, which used commercial flight information and phone metadata, suggests security agents and two medical doctors working for the nation's security agency were connected to the Navalny poisoning--an event that many have long suspected went to the top levels of the Russian government.

The report provides the strongest evidence to date supporting that theory and even names the agents Bellingcat says were connected to the surveillance of Navalny. The attack, which is believed to have involved the nerve agent Novichok, is not currently being investigated by law enforcement agencies in any country.

The groundbreaking report was put together by Bellingcat, CNN, Russian media outlet The Insider, and German weekly Der Spiegel.