Russian opposition figure Volkov was apparently attacked by unknown assailants in Lithuania. He was a confidante of the late Kremlin critic Navalny and had blamed Russian President Putin for his death.
A close confidant of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, who died in Russian custody, has been violently attacked while in exile in Lithuania. “Leonid Volkov was just attacked in front of his house,” said Kira Jarmisch, who was Navalny’s spokeswoman until his death. Among other things, Volkov, who is one of the best-known Russian opposition figures, was attacked with tear gas and a hammer.
Attacked with a hammer
“Someone broke a car window and sprayed tear gas into his eyes. Then the attacker started attacking Leonid with a hammer,” Jarmisch described the attack on the online service X. The spokeswoman did not provide any information about where Volkov lives. But the independent Russian online media Mediazona reported that the opposition figure is in Lithuania.
The Lithuanian police, for their part, confirmed, according to the news website Deli, that “a Russian citizen was attacked in front of his house.” Navalny supporters spread photos of Volkov online showing him with multiple injuries. They showed, among other things, that the 43-year-old had a black eye and blood on his leg that was seeping through his jeans.
Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Foundation
Volkov was one of Navalny’s closest confidants and, among other things, former chief of staff. He also headed the anti-corruption foundation founded by the Kremlin critic until 2023.
According to Russian authorities, Navalny died on February 16 in a Russian prison camp in the Arctic, where he was serving a 19-year prison sentence. According to Russian information, the 47-year-old died of “natural causes”, although the exact circumstances remain unclear. Navalny’s supporters and numerous Western politicians blame the Russian leadership and President Vladimir Putin for the death of the opposition figure.