Leonid Volkov, a key political ally of the late Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, was assaulted with a hammer outside his home in Lithuania, according to Navalny's spokesperson Kira Yarmysh.
"Someone broke the car window, sprayed stinging liquid in his eyes and then started hitting him with a hammer," wrote Yarmysh.
Volkov, who suffered a broken arm, described the incident as a "characteristic bandit salute" by Putin's minions in a statement on Telegram.
"We will work and we will not give up," he added.
The assault occurred shortly after Volkov expressed concerns about his safety in an interview with the independent Russian newspaper Meduza.
"The main risk now is that we will all be killed. It's pretty obvious why," he stated.
Volkov, who has lived outside Russia for several years due to government pressure, had been instrumental in managing Navalny's regional offices and election campaigns. Following Navalny's death in prison under mysterious circumstances nearly a month ago, Volkov and his team initiated "Navalny's Campaigning Machine," aiming to rally Russians against Putin in anticipation of the upcoming presidential elections.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis responded to the news of the attack on social media platform X, writing: "News about Leonid’s assault are shocking. Relevant authorities are at work. Perpetrators will have to answer for their crime."
