Chief Of Staff Of Deceased Russian Opposition Leader Brutally Attacked With Tear Gas, Hammer In Lithuania

Leonid Volkov, former chief of staff to the deceased Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, was brutally attacked outside his residence in Vilnius, Lithuania.

What Happened: Assailants smashed Volkov’s car window, sprayed him with tear gas, and then proceeded to beat him with a hammer. The incident was first made public by Kira Yarmysh, Navalny's spokesperson, on X, the platform previously known as Twitter, reported Politico.

Yarmysh posted graphic images of Volkov’s leg injury and his vandalized car. Another image on Telegram reportedly showed Volkov being taken into an ambulance.

Screenshot from Kira Yarmysh’s X feed.

The Lithuanian Foreign Affairs Minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, confirmed the attack, tweeting, “News about Leonid's assault are shocking. Relevant authorities are at work. Perpetrators will have to answer for their crime.”

This attack on Volkov follows the death of Navalny in a Russian prison on February 16. Navalny was buried on March 1. Russia is scheduled to hold a presidential election from March 15-17.

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Why It Matters: The assault on Volkov comes in the wake of a series of events following Navalny’s death. Navalny, a prominent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, died under mysterious circumstances in a Russian prison.

His death sparked widespread protests across Russia, leading to the detention of over 400 people. Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, vowed to continue her husband’s fight against Putin, as reported by Benzinga on February 20.

Meanwhile, Sergei Naryshkin, the director of the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), attributed Navalny’s death to natural causes.

Photo Courtesy: Shutterstock.com

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