Leonid Volkov, a Russian opponent in exile and close to Alexeï Navalny, was the victim of an attack on Tuesday, March 12, outside his home in Lithuania, said a Russian opposition media and Kira Yarmysh, the former spokesperson for Mr. Navalny, who died in custody in Russia on February 16. He was hospitalized.
“Leonid Volkov has just been attacked outside his house. Someone broke a car window and sprayed tear gas in his eyes before starting to hit Leonid with a hammer,” said Kira Yarmysh, on X.
Relatives of Alexei Navalny released photos showing Mr. Volkov's injuries, including a black eye, a red mark on his forehead and blood on one of his legs.
They announced that he had been hospitalized, posting a photo of him being carried on a stretcher in front of an ambulance. Kira Yarmysh did not give any details on the country where Mr. Volkov resides, but the independent Russian media Mediazona assures that he is in Lithuania.
Leonid Volkov is a former chief of staff of Mr. Navalny and chaired until 2023 the anti-corruption foundation founded by the former opponent of Vladimir Putin. Mr Volkov accused the Russian president of being directly responsible for Navalny’s death.
