AKIPRESS.COM - A medical evacuation flight carrying Alexei Navalny has left Omsk and is on its way to Germany, after the Russian opposition leader fell gravely ill in a suspected poisoning, CNN reported.

In a tweet marking the departure Saturday, his spokesperson Kira Yarmysh wrote: "The plane with Alexei flew to Berlin. Many thanks to everyone for their support. The struggle for Alexei's life and health just begins, and there is still a lot to go through, but now at least the first step has been taken."

In an earlier tweet, Yarmysh posted a photo showing Navalny's stretcher being put onto the air ambulance. "Alexei is taken to the medical aircraft. Yulia is with him," she wrote. Yulia is Navalny's wife.