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 in opposition to the Russian president inside Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral in 2012.

Regardless of being sentenced to two years in prison for their activism, the group continued to talk out against the Kremlin leader, with Ms Alyokhina remaining decided to struggle Mr Putin's system.

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

In April, Russian authorities positioned her below home arrest as they tried to stop those within the country 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 food courier and leaving her telephone behind as a decoy.

She was then able to cross into Lithuania after in search of the help of an artist from Iceland, who secured her travel documents.

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Comparing her story to a "spy novel", Ms Alyokhina advised The New York Occasions: "I was blissful that I made it, as a result of it was an unpredictable and massive kiss-off to the Russian authorities.

"I still do not understand utterly what I've finished."

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

"Even before, there were questions on how it is united, by what values it's united, and the place it's going. However now I don't assume that could be a query anymore."

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