Der Spiegel reports Navalny’s condition improving, police guard stepped up

Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny has made further progress in his recovery from poisoning with a Novichok nerve agent and is now able to speak again, Der Spiegel magazine reported on Thursday.

The Kremlin critic is being treated in Berlin’s Charite hospital after being taken seriously ill on a Russian domestic flight last month. Germany has demanded Russia explain the affair, though Russia denies any involvement.

The magazine said that Navalny’s police protection had been stepped up in the expectation that he would be receiving more visitors as his condition improved.

“Der Spiegel and Bellingcat understand that Navalny can speak again and can likely remember details about his collapse,” the magazine wrote, crediting its investigative website partner. “His statements could be dangerous for people behind the attack.”

Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday there was a “substantial chance” that the suspected poisoning of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was ordered by senior Russian officials.

“There is a substantial chance that this actually came from senior Russian officials,” Pompeo told the Ben Shapiro radio program, according to a transcript released by the State Department.

Pompeo said the United States was evaluating how it would respond.