(Vilnius) Leonid Volkov, a Russian opponent in exile and close to Alexeï Navalny, was hospitalized after being the victim of an attack on Tuesday outside his home in Vilnius, local police said.
The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry Gabrielius Landsbergis condemned a “shocking” attack and assured, in a message on X, that its perpetrators will have to “answer for their crimes”
Aged 43, Leonid Volkov is one of the main opposition figures in Russia and was one of Navalny’s lieutenants, who died in custody in Russia on February 16.
“Leonid Volkov was just attacked outside his house. Someone broke the window of a car and sprayed tear gas in his eyes before starting to hit Leonid with a hammer,” Kira Yarmysh, Navalny’s ex-spokesperson, initially said. .
Those close to Navalny released photos showing the injuries Mr. Volkov suffered, including a black eye, a red mark on his forehead and blood on one of his legs. They then shared a photo showing him being transported on a stretcher into an ambulance.
A Lithuanian police spokesperson, Ramunas Matonis, confirmed to AFP that a Russian citizen was attacked near his home in the capital Vilnius at around 10 p.m. local time.
“A large number of police officers are working on the scene,” he added.
No suspect has been identified and more details on this attack should be communicated Wednesday morning, the spokesperson said. Police confirmed that Mr Volkov had been hospitalized.
This attack comes almost a month after the death of Navalny in a Russian prison in the Arctic and a few days before the presidential election in Russia which should mark the triumph of Vladimir Putin, for lack of real opponents.
Mr. Volkov accused the Russian president of being directly responsible for the death of Navalny, of whom he was the former chief of staff. He also chaired until 2023 the anti-corruption foundation founded by the former number one opponent of Vladimir Putin.
A NATO member country, Lithuania hosts many Russians in exile and has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion.