Putin Critic Exiled Navalny Ally Attacked With Hammer In Lithuania

Leonid Volkov, a close ally of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, was attacked outside his home in Lithuania on Tuesday, independent Russian media outlets and Navalny's spokeswoman said.

"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.

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.

Volkov was a close ally of Navalny, working as the late leader's ex-chief of staff and as chair of his Anti-Corruption Foundation until 2023.

The attack comes almost a month after Navalny's death in an Arctic prison, which Volkov blamed directly on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)