Urban activist and independent candidate for the Chelyabinsk City Duma Mikhail Popov on July 20 announced he was halting his election campaign, citing an inability to collect the required 205 signatures by July 24.
"Right now my main task is to get through the day: follow doctors' recommendations, undergo procedures, and recover step by step," Popov wrote in his Telegram channel. "What happens next — time will tell. But one thing I know for certain: politics is a marathon, not a sprint," he added.
On July 13, police came to Popov's home. According to the activist, law enforcement officers staged a "siege" of the entrance and tried to enter his apartment. Two men in black clothing arrived with a stretcher and objects resembling gas masks — who they were and why they came is unknown. The reason for the police visit also remains unclear.
Trying to get away from the police, Popov climbed from the third floor to the second and jumped, hoping to land on tree branches. He broke his spine in the fall.
Mikhail Popov is a city activist and urbanist who runs a blog about public transport and urban improvement. Since July 6 he had been collecting signatures to run as a self-nominated candidate for the city duma. Popov frequently criticizes Chelyabinsk's construction projects and public space planning. In September 2025, Popov was beaten by men in camouflage; the activist linked the attack to his campaign against building high-rises in the Chelyabinsk city forest.