Top stories in the Russian press on Friday, August 21, prepared by TASS

Kommersant: Alexei Navalny hospitalized after suspected poisoning

Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny was hospitalized on Thursday in Omsk. He is reported to be in a coma. The politician felt unwell during a flight from Tomsk to Moscow, and the plane had to make an emergency landing. Navalny’s supporters are confident that the politician was poisoned, Kommersant reports. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron have expressed their readiness to provide aid to the Russian opposition figure. Experts interviewed by Kommersant note that Navalny’s suspected poisoning might damage the image of the Russian government, adding that the best thing for Russian officials is to do everything possible to ensure the politician’s recovery and to carry out a thorough investigation.

In the days leading up to the incident, Alexei Navalny was on a trip to Siberia, where he met with candidates set to take part in the fall elections and with his supporters. On August 15, he visited Novosibirsk, after which he left for Tomsk. Ksenia Fadeeva, the coordinator of the Tomsk office of Navalny’s supporters, said she met with the politician on August 19, and "he looked absolutely healthy and felt well, and in the evening, he left the hotel for the airport."

"There is no doubt that Navalny was poisoned due to his political stance and activity," head of the Anti-Corruption Foundation’s (an organization founded by Navalny) legal department Vyacheslav Gimadi said. He added that the foundation’s lawyers had addressed the Russian Investigative Committee with a demand to launch criminal proceedings over the attempted murder of a political figure and an assassination attempt. The Russian Investigative Committee’s press service did not reply to Kommersant’s request for comment.

For his part, political analyst Yevgeny Minchenko pointed out that the Kremlin’s image would be damaged significantly in case of serious repercussions to Navalny’s health after this incident. He reminded that the murder of opposition figure Boris Nemtsov in February 2015 "dealt a serious blow to the government’s reputation."

Meanwhile, political expert Alexei Makarkin told the newspaper that a "difficult" outcome of Navalny’s story is unlikely to affect the regional elections, as the politician’s figure is not related to their agenda. However, it can lead to a surge in protest votes during the Russian State Duma (lower house) election or lead to mass protests even now. "Public repercussions will be rather tough, people won’t forget that," he added. "Navalny is a person that stirs strong emotions among our people, although it is difficult to surprise them at this point," the expert said. In order to minimize the damage, the Kremlin must ensure that all conditions for the politician’s recovery are met and that an objective investigation into the incident is carried out, experts note.

Rossiyskaya Gazeta: Russia to launch large-scale international trials of COVID-19 vaccine

Russia will test its COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology on 40,000 volunteers, Kirill Dmitriev, who heads the Russian Direct Investment Fund, announced on Thursday. Besides Russia, international clinical trials will be held in Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, the UAE, and possibly Brazil and India. Russia is set to launch the trials next week, with doctors and teachers getting vaccinated at the same time.

Israel is also considering joining the clinical trials of the Russian vaccine, with the Hadassah University Hospital, namely its Moscow branch in Skolkovo, possibly forming part of the research. Medical Director of Hadassah Skolkovo Polina Stepenskaya explained to Rossiyskaya Gazeta why Israeli specialists, who are working on a COVID-19 vaccine themselves, are ready to cooperate with their Russian colleagues.

"The development of a vaccine in Israel is still at the lab stage. It is unclear when clinical trials might begin," Stepenskaya stated. "I hope that our clinic will have the opportunity to take part in this work. However, I would like to say that international cooperation, along with the joint work of researchers and medics from various states is what can speed up the search for a vaccine and drugs that can combat the new infection. So we are open to any joint endeavor, both in Israel and in Russia. Our Hadassah branch in Skolkovo is very interested in this project."

"We could vaccinate about 15,000-20,000 people located in any hotbed of infection, if there is an outbreak in the area at the time, and then analyze whether they get infected naturally. This is the perfect option. As far as I am aware, Russia plans to do something similar now, offering to vaccinate doctors and teachers who agree to it. The goal is clear: both have a high chance of coming into contact with patients and children infected with the coronavirus. Those who wish to receive a vaccine will get it, and then experts will analyze the share of those who got infected anyway among those who received the vaccine and those who did not," Stepenskaya explained.

Kommersant: Prospects for Belarusian opposition remain dim as the West plays it safe

The Coordination Council on the transition of power set up by the Belarusian opposition is now facing criminal charges over suspected calls to seize power. The council’s leadership decided to go all in, demanding to meet with the law enforcement bodies urgently and claiming that all actions of the council are within Belarusian law, Kommersant reports. The stance of Western countries can play a significant role in this political strife, however, it remains undecisive. While Lithuania and Poland talk about recognizing opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya as the elected leader, the EU on the whole has not even called on Minsk to hold another election. Washington chooses not to aggravate relations with Belarus either.

Former Belarusian Charge d’Affaires in Switzerland Pavel Matsukevich, who has not been appointed to a new position due to his critical stance of the government, said that the West does not have any legal mechanism to recognize Tikhanovskaya as president. "I am sure that all the ballots have been destroyed, which is why the calls for a vote recount are unrealistic," he pointed out. "So it is impossible to recognize Tikhanovskaya as president." According to him, if the EU and the US recognize the Coordination Council as a legitimate body, it might only hurt the opposition. "This organization is not very respected in Belarus. When I hear statements by the members of the council, it sounds like they are already testifying, knowing that their every word can be used against them. Their phrases must be turned into slogans, and instead, they are carefully mulling over their words." The diplomat noted that the Belarusian opposition might achieve success if the majority of factory workers join their cause.

"It is impossible to put the lava back inside the volcano, however, the lava can cool down," Belarusian political analyst Alexander Feduta told the newspaper, noting that arrests of prominent Belarusian opposition figures may still fire up the protest. "New deaths can also stoke the lava, and many of those injured are still in hospitals. And finally, the attempt to put pressure on the workers may also play its role." The fate of President Alexander Lukashenko will be decided in October, Feduta suggests, when his current presidential term officially runs out.

Izvestia: Libyan civil war may re-ignite following Turkey-Qatar-Sarraj talks

Turkey and Egypt continue expanding their military presence in Libya and near its borders, sources close to the situation informed Izvestia. MIM-23 Hawk missiles, Korkut anti-aircraft guns and S-300 missile systems are being deployed as tensions rise in the wake of a recent agreement concluded between Turkey, Qatar and Libya’s Government of National Accord. Members of the Libyan National Army (LNA) have demanded that all foreign troops leave the country, deeming the pact to be a declaration of war. Experts confirm that this step undermines the existing peace initiatives and may lead to more civil war in the country.

"We see that Turkey is widening its efforts on promoting its interests in Libya, on drawing in its allies, on expanding Ankara’s influence through its allied forces, namely Qatar," Senior Research Fellow of the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies in the Russian Academy of Sciences Boris Dolgov told Izvestia.

He noted that Turkey is carrying out a steady and consistent policy line. Ankara seeks to position itself as the region’s center of power, Dolgov added.

On August 17, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and head of the Turkish General Staff Yasar Guler visited Tripoli. Khalid bin Mohammad Al Attiyah, Qatar’s defense chief, joined them for the first time. After the trilateral talks with Fayez al-Sarraj, who heads Libya’s Government of National Accord, they signed an agreement on military cooperation.

Dolgov noted that this deal would lead to an escalation of tensions, as the establishment of military bases is another violation of previous agreements by Libya, including the Berlin conference and previous attempts at reaching a peace agreement.

Nezavisimaya Gazeta: Russia set to thwart Turkey’s attacks on Syria

The Russian military plans to remain in Syria for a long time, based on a recent agreement signed with the Syrian government, according to which a medical rehabilitation center for Russian military pilots would be established in the Syrian province of Latakia. However, this news might be met with controversy after reports of the death of a Russian general in Syria, Nezavisimaya Gazeta notes.

There are many questions regarding the reported bombing of a Russian military convoy in Syria. Moscow has repeatedly stated that it ended active military action in Syria. And then a death of a general is reported, along with several injuries among Russian military officers accompanying him. The Russian aviation still bombs the positions of militants in the Idlib de-escalation zone, and blasts are reported regularly along the patrol route of the Russian military, the newspaper points out.

It seems that Turkey only says that it coordinates its military actions with Russia, but, in reality, it organizes military action not only against the Syrian government, but against Russian troops as well. Ankara’s military activity will only increase, Nezavisimaya Gazeta points out in its analysis of the situation.

The expert community thinks that sooner or later, the Syrian Arab Army will launch a mass offensive in the Idlib de-escalation zone to rid the territory of militants for good. Russian air power may provide support to Assad’s army. If this happens, Ankara, which has a greater military contingency in Syria, is set to impede Russia’s efforts in this area, and new clashes with Russian troops are inevitable.

"The rehabilitation center in the Mediterranean for our pilots covering 8 hectares of territory with the buildings located there and the sea itself - this is all great, of course. However, I am confused about the word "rehabilitation," Russian military expert Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Ovchinnikov told the newspaper. According to him, Russia’s army brass understands very well that the work of their pilots in the region is not over. The rehabilitation center is located near the Hmeymim military airbase. "However, will it be more effective than our military pilots being sent to Crimea or Sochi for R&R?" the expert wondered.