
Russian police on Friday said they would ask Germany to question Kremlin's opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is undergoing treatment in Berlin.
The development came after a German magazine reported on Thursday said that Navalny has made progress in his recovery and is able to speak again.
It is being understood by Der Spiegel that "Navalny can speak again and can likely remember details about his collapse."
Germany says that Navalny, a well-known critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was poisoned by a soviet-style Novichok nerve agent, a claim denied by Moscow.
Navalny's alleged poisoning has raised eyebrows in West, with experts questioning Moscow's role in an attempt to silence its most prominent critic.
On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said there was a "substantial chance" his poisoning was ordered by top Russian officials.