The chief of staff to Aleksei A. Navalny, the Russian opposition leader who died last month in an Arctic penal colony, was brutally attacked outside his home in Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, late Tuesday night. Leonid Volkov, a top organizer for Mr. Navalny, was ambushed by at least one assailant who smashed his car window, sprayed him with tear gas, and beat him with a hammer.
Despite the vicious attack, Mr. Volkov survived and was taken to the hospital for treatment. Photographs shared online showed him conscious but injured, with blood streaming from his leg and a mark on his head. The incident occurred nearly a month after Mr. Navalny’s controversial death in prison, which has been attributed to President Vladimir V. Putin by Mr. Navalny’s wife and aides.
The identity of the attacker or attackers remains unknown, raising concerns about the safety of those involved in Mr. Navalny’s organization. Christo Grozev, a journalist who exposed the Russian intelligence unit behind a previous poisoning of Mr. Navalny, issued a warning following the attack on Mr. Volkov, urging activists and journalists to be cautious.
The Lithuanian police confirmed the assault on a Russian citizen in Vilnius and stated that the relevant authorities are investigating the incident. Mr. Volkov, who fled to Lithuania in 2019 due to persecution by Russian authorities, had been leading a campaign called “Noon Against Putin,” encouraging Russians to peacefully protest against the president at polling stations.
The attack on Mr. Volkov highlights the ongoing risks faced by those advocating for political change in Russia and raises concerns about the safety of opposition activists both in Russia and abroad.
