Volkswacht Bodensee - Navalny ally Leonid Volkov attacked outside home in Lithuania

Volkov, 43, is a leading Russian opposition figure and was one of Navalny's close allies, working as the late leader's ex-chief of staff and as chair of his Anti-Corruption Foundation until 2023.

"Leonid Volkov has just been attacked outside his house. Someone broke a car window and sprayed tear gas in his eyes, after which the attacker started hitting Leonid with a hammer," Navalny spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said on X, formerly Twitter.

Navalny's allies shared photos showing Volkov's injuries, including a black eye, a red mark on his forehead and bleeding on his leg, which had soaked through his jeans.

Yarmysh said that Volkov was now at home and emergency services were on their way.

She did not say where Volkov lived, but Russia's independent Mediazona news outlet said he was currently in Lithuania.

The Delfi news website cited Lithuanian police as confirming that a "Russian citizen was beaten outside his home" on Tuesday night.

The attack comes almost a month after Navalny's death in an Arctic prison, which Volkov blamed on President Vladimir Putin, and days before elections set to extend the Kremlin chief's stay in power.

I.Stoeckli--VB