Russia's doping program is run by the same FSB team that poisoned Navalny

5 hours ago

FSB colonel Dmitry Kovalev works as a forensic expert for Russian anti-doping efforts and is also involved in political poisonings using Novichok nerve agent.
Russia's state-sponsored doping program and political assassination program share personnel, address, and director within the FSB-linked Signal Scientific Research Centre.
Whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov exposed Russia's doping schemes during the 2014 Sochi Olympics, leading to international sanctions and his defection to the U.S.
Kovalev testified unsuccessfully in Swiss courts to defend Russia against doping bans, with his testimony deemed not credible by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Kovalev is in a relationship with Veronika Loginova, CEO of RUSADA, linking anti-doping governance directly to FSB intelligence operations.
The FSB's 8th Department, part of the Constitutional Protection Directorate, embeds officers in Russian sports institutions to manage doping and cover-ups.
FSB operatives, including Kovalev, attend international sporting events without accreditation, blending sports involvement with intelligence activities.
Kovalev maintains a revealing Instagram account showing patriotic and pro-Putin content, alongside posts promoting conspiracy theories about doping investigations.
Russia faces ongoing bans from global sports due to doping violations, exacerbated by its invasion of Ukraine, though some athletes compete as neutrals.

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