Alexei Navalny's wife Yulia Navalnaya reportedly arrives in Germany

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By Euronews
Wife of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Yulia in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021.
Wife of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Yulia in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021.   -  Copyright  AP Photo

Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, has reportedly left Russia for Germany.

The Russian news agency Interfax says she flew from Moscow to Frankfurt on Wednesday but the reason for her trip is still unknown.

Alexei Navalny was arrested in January when he returned to Moscow from Berlin, where he was recovering from being poisoned. 

He has since been jailed for the remaining 2.5 years of his suspended-turned-custodial sentence. Yulia Navalnaya was arrested during protests calling for his release but was later set free.

The details of Yulia Navalnaya's trip to Germany are still unknown but the decision to travel seems to have been taken very quickly.

Alexei Navalny's opposition allies have dismissed speculation that Yulia could stand for office, saying it's an attempt by authorities to distract from Alexei's arrest and jail term. Now that speculation has turned to Yulia's future and whether she plans to return to Russia.

_Listen to Galina Polonskaya's full report by clicking on the media player above. _