Pussy Riot band member Maria Alyokhina escapes Russia dressed as food courier after criticising Putin | World News

Political activist and member of the Russian band Pussy Riot has reportedly fled the nation disguised as a food courier after criticising Vladimir Putin.

Maria Alyokhina and her fellow band members first came to the attention of the Russian authorities after staging a protest against the Russian president inside Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral in 2012.

Regardless of being sentenced to 2 years in prison for their activism, the group continued to speak out against the Kremlin chief, with Ms Alyokhina remaining determined to combat Mr Putin's system.

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After being released from prison, she continued her activism and set up a news outlet targeted on crime and punishment in Russia, known as Mediazona, with one other member of the band.

In April, Russian authorities placed her under home arrest as they tried to stop these within the nation who opposed their invasion of Ukraine.

The 33-year-old was then ordered to spend 21 days in a penal colony.

However, the band chief managed to evade the Moscow police by disguising herself as a meals courier and leaving her phone behind as a decoy.

She was then in a position to cross into Lithuania after seeking the assistance of an artist from Iceland, who secured her travel documents.

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Evaluating her story to a "spy novel", Ms Alyokhina instructed The New York Instances: "I was happy that I made it, as a result of it was an unpredictable and large kiss-off to the Russian authorities.

"I nonetheless do not understand fully what I've done."

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Ms Alyokhina added: "I do not suppose Russia has a proper to exist anymore.

"Even before, there were questions on how it's united, by what values it's united, and where it is going. However now I do not suppose that is a question anymore."

In 2019, fellow bandmate Nadya Tolokonikova spoke to Sky News about her time in a jail camp and protests happening in Russia.