On July 13, Mikhail Popov, a candidate in a by-election to the Chelyabinsk City Duma and author of the Urban Zhurnal channel, was hospitalized with a fractured spine following a visit from police officers.
Photo: Mikhail Popov's Telegram channel
Mikhail Popov said he jumped from a second-floor window to escape police officers who had "laid siege to the apartment building." He asked supporters to help raise money for a spinal brace.
A source close to Popov told 7x7 that the urbanist jumped from the window fearing that police were about to force their way into his apartment. He climbed down from the third floor to the second, then attempted to land on the branches of a tree outside the building, but fell onto his back.
The reason for the police visit remains unclear. Local police officer Marat Musabaev later visited Popov in the hospital and asked why he had jumped. At the same time, Musabaev denied having been outside Popov's home.
Two men dressed in black who arrived together with the police brought stretchers and what appeared to be gas masks. Their identity and the purpose of bringing these items remain unknown.
Popov stopped responding to messages on the evening of July 13 after posting a photo from the hospital showing him on an IV drip and wearing a neck brace. A few hours earlier, he had reported that local police officer Marat Musabaev and another unidentified officer were trying to enter his apartment.
Since July 6, Popov has been collecting signatures to run as an independent candidate in a by-election to the Chelyabinsk City Duma. He runs a blog about public transport and urban development. In September 2025, he was assaulted by men wearing camouflage. Popov linked the attack to his opposition to plans to build high-rise apartment buildings in the Chelyabinsk pine forest.