The attack on Leonid Volkov, a long-time associate of Russian oppositionist Alexei Navalny, which took place on Tuesday in Vilnius was professional and well-planned, said the head of the Lithuanian National Crisis Management Center on Thursday. Commenting on the attack on Volkov, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said that no one in his country is afraid of Vladimir Putin.
– This is the first time such an incident of political aggression, political terrorism, has happened on our soil – said Vilmantas Vitkauskas on Thursday in an interview for LRT radio.
He stressed that identifying the perpetrators of the attack and determining its details would not be easy.
– One thing is certain, the longer the investigation lasts, the more it becomes clear that the operation itself was professional and well-planned – he said. He added that “whoever conducted it was either well prepared or received very good instructions.”
– From all the data we have, it looks like a well-planned and professional operation – concluded the head of the Lithuanian National Crisis Management Center.
A close associate of Navalny was attacked in LithuaniaJustyna Zuber/Fakty o Świecie TVN24 BiS
Navalny’s associate attacked with a hammer
Leonid Volkov, former chief of staff of the recently deceased Russian oppositionist Alexei Navalny, was attacked on Tuesday. The perpetrator broke the window in his car, attacked him with tear gas and then with a hammer. Kira Yarmysh, Navalny’s spokeswoman, was the first to report this. On Wednesday, Volkov announced that he had returned home following spending a night in the hospital. He suffered a broken arm and other injuries caused by hammer blows. “This is an obvious criminal greeting from Putin, from St. Petersburg,” he wrote. “We will keep working and we will not give up. It is difficult, but we will manage. It is good to know that I am still alive,” he added. According to independent Russian media, Volkov lives in Vilnius.
Leonid Wołkow po atakuReuters/Anna Biryukova via X
At the end of February, Volkov called for protests during the Russian elections, emphasizing that this was “a direct political testament of Alexei Navalny.”
Leonid Volkov was attacked while he was in his car.Reuters/Anna Biryukova via X
Death of Alexei Navalny
On February 16, Russian authorities announced the sudden death of Alexei Navalny, Vladimir Putin’s most famous political opponent. Navalny allegedly died in unexplained circumstances in a labor camp above the Arctic Circle, where he was serving a 19-year prison sentence, and was facing up to 30 years in prison.
The Kremlin critic allegedly “felt bad” and “lost consciousness.” An ambulance was called and resuscitation was attempted, but the oppositionist died, the services reported. His lawyers and family maintain that he was murdered on the orders of the Kremlin authorities, while according to Ukrainian military intelligence, Navalny died of a blood clot.
Thousands of people came to his funeral, which took place in Moscow on March 1.
READ MORE: “Button not done, wrong word.” This is how Navalny was tortured
Main photo source: SALVATORE DI NOLFI/PAP