With Navalny Sidelined, Russia’s Opposition Seeks to Deal a Blow to Putin

MOSCOW—Last year, Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny scored a rare win in his opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin, stirring enough popular discontent with corruption, rising poverty and failing public services to defeat Putin loyalists in the Moscow city election.

Now, with Mr. Navalny seriously ill in Germany after an attempt on his life, his movement is attempting to continue his campaign. Local elections later this week will provide a critical test of its staying power and whether the attack will cow Russia’s beleaguered…