Leonid Volkov, former chief of staff of Alexei Navalny and chairman of Navalny‘s Anti-Corruption Foundation until 2023, was attacked outside his home in Lithuania on March 12, reports LRT.lt. Someone broke a car window and sprayed tear gas in his eyes, then started hitting Volkov on the legs with a hammer. He also suffered a broken arm. According to Sergei Bezpalov, another Navalny associate in Vilnius, says that the attack was carried out to discourage Russians who have fled abroad from voting in this weekend‘s presidential elections. He told LRT Radio that many Russians abroad are planning to go to embassies and vote against Putin, and the Kremlin is trying to maintain a climate of fear. Protests are planned for Sunday, and pro-opposition citizens want to hold rallies in front of every Russian embassy on that day.
In a statement on March 13, the Lithuanian State Security Department (VSD) said: “It is likely that the attack on Leonid Volkov in Vilnius on March 12, 2024, is a Russian-organized and implemented operation aimed at stopping the implementation of the Russian opposition’s projects in connection with the forthcoming undemocratic Russian presidential elections.” According to Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė, the threat level in Lithuania has not increased despite the attack on Volkov. Police Commissioner General Rentas Požėla said that the incident is being investigated by the Criminal Police.
According to Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the National Crisis Management Centre, the attack on Leonid Volkov is the first case of political terrorism in Lithuania. “One thing is clear – the longer the investigation goes on, the clearer it becomes that the operation itself was professional, well-planned and whoever carried it out was either well-prepared or received very good instructions”. The authorities have increased their level of vigilance following the attack on Volkov, he added. “New algorithms are activated when we see a threat. Political events in Russia are coming up, which mobilizes us even more,” Vitkauskas said.
On March 15, presidential elections start in Russia. A protest by the Russian opposition is scheduled for noon on Sunday in front of the Russian Embassy in Vilnius. According to Vitkauskas, the services were preparing for possible provocations. “Russia may try to use such gatherings for certain provocations, and we are preparing for such scenarios,” he said. “We would urge people who are planning to take part in such events to be very vigilant and avoid any incidents. If there is any danger, we will warn in advance.”
Navalny Associate Attacked in Vilnius
