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Exiled ally of useless Alexei Navalny attacked exterior Lithuanian residence

  • Leonid Volkov suffered a black eye, purple mark on his brow and a bleeding leg

An exiled ally of late Russian opposition chief Alexei Navalny has been attacked exterior his Lithuanian residence with a ‘hammer’ and ‘tear gasoline’, it has emerged.

Leonid Volkov, Navalny’s shut ally and high strategist, was attacked close to his residence in Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital metropolis, on Tuesday evening.

The assailant smashed a window of Volkov’s automotive, sprayed tear gasoline into his eyes and began hitting him with a hammer, Navalny’s spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh mentioned.

Photos of Volkov’s accidents revealed he suffered a black eye, a purple mark on his brow and bleeding on his leg, which had soaked by means of his denims. 

Volkov is now at residence and police and an ambulance are reportedly on the way in which.

The assault comes nearly a month after Navalny’s dying in an Arctic jail, which Volkov blamed straight on Russian President Vladimir Putin

Leonid Volkov, (pictured in 2022) an ally of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been attacked outside his Lithuanian home with a 'hammer' and 'tear gas', it has emerged

Leonid Volkov, (pictured in 2022) an ally of late Russian opposition chief Alexei Navalny has been attacked exterior his Lithuanian residence with a ‘hammer’ and ‘tear gasoline’, it has emerged

Volkov was a close ally of Alexei Navalny, (pictured during is 2017 trial in in the Tverskoy court of the city in Moscow) working as the late leader's ex-chief of staff and as chair of his Anti-Corruption Foundation until 2023

Volkov was a detailed ally of Alexei Navalny, (pictured throughout is 2017 trial in within the Tverskoy court docket of town in Moscow) working because the late chief’s ex-chief of workers and as chair of his Anti-Corruption Foundation till 2023

‘Leonid Volkov has simply been attacked exterior his home,’ Yarmysh mentioned Tuesday evening. ‘Someone broke a automotive window and sprayed tear gasoline in his eyes, after which the attacker began hitting Leonid with a hammer.’

She  didn’t say the place Volkov lived, however Russia‘s impartial Mediazona information outlet mentioned he was at present in Lithuania.

The Delfi information web site cited Lithuanian police as confirming {that a} ‘Russian citizen was crushed exterior his residence’ on Tuesday evening.

Volkov was a detailed ally of Navalny, working because the late chief’s ex-chief of workers and as chair of his Anti-Corruption Foundation till 2023. 

Navalny had been jailed since January 2021, when he returned to Moscow to face sure arrest after recuperating in Germany from nerve agent poisoning he blamed on the Kremlin. 

His dying, reported by penitentiary officers on February 16 this 12 months, despatched shockwaves across the globe, with opposition figures and Western leaders laying the blame on the Kremlin – one thing officers in Moscow vehemently rejected. 

His Foundation for Fighting Corruption and his regional workplaces have been designated as ‘extremist organisations’ by the Russian authorities that very same 12 months.

Volkov was once in control of the regional workplaces. He left Russia underneath stress from the authorities. 

Last 12 months, Volkov and his group launched a venture referred to as ‘Navalny’s Campaigning Machine,’ with the purpose of speaking to as many Russians as attainable, both by telephone or on-line, and turning them towards Putin forward of the March 15-17 presidential election.

Not lengthy earlier than his dying, Navalny urged supporters to flock to the polls at midday on Sunday, the ultimate day of voting, to exhibit their discontent with the Kremlin. 

His allies have been actively selling the technique, dubbed ‘Noon Against Putin,’ in latest weeks.

This is a creating story. Check again for updates.