Alexei Navalny’s top ally attacked in Lithuania

Navalny’s previously served spokesperson Kira Yarmysh reports the attacker broke Volkov’s window, sprayed a noxious substance and hit him with the hammer-like tool

Associates of the deceased Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny announced late Tuesday that a close confidant and chief strategist of the politician was assaulted near his residence in the capital of Lithuania. 

Kira Yarmysh, who previously served as Navalny’s spokesperson, reported that the attacker broke a window of Leonid Volkov’s vehicle, sprayed a noxious substance into his eyes, and proceeded to strike him with a tool resembling a hammer.

Volkov was subsequently transported to a medical facility, as confirmed by Navalny’s associate Ivan Zhdanov. 

The incident occurred in Vilnius almost a month following Navalny’s mysterious demise in a secluded Arctic penitentiary. The most vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin was serving a lengthy prison sentence on what many perceive as politically motivated charges of extremism. 

Navalny, a prominent anti-corruption activist and the most recognizable opposition figure in Russia, had been imprisoned since January 2021, having returned to Moscow from Germany where he was recovering from an alleged nerve agent poisoning orchestrated by the Kremlin.

His organization, the Foundation for Fighting Corruption, along with its network of local branches, were labeled as “extremist entities” by the Russian government during the same year. 

The announcement of his passing on Feb. 16 by penitentiary officials reverberated globally, with dissenting voices and leaders from Western nations attributing responsibility to the Kremlin – a claim vehemently denied by Moscow authorities. 

The funeral ceremony for the politician in Moscow on March 1 attracted thousands of supporters, showcasing a rare act of defiance in Putin’s Russia amid an ongoing and severe suppression of opposition. Mourners continued to visit Navalny’s gravesite in southeastern Moscow for days following the service.

His widow, Yulia, has pledged to carry on her late husband’s mission. 

Volkov had previously overseen Navalny’s regional branches and electoral campaigns – Navalny had contested the mayoral election in Moscow in 2013 and had aspirations to challenge Putin in the 2018 presidential race. Due to pressure from the government, Volkov departed Russia several years ago. 

In a recent initiative titled “Navalny’s Campaigning Machine,” Volkov and his team aimed to engage with a wide array of Russians, either through direct communication or online platforms, with the objective of swaying public opinion against Putin ahead of the upcoming presidential election. 

Shortly before his passing, Navalny had encouraged his supporters to gather at polling stations at noon on the final day of voting to express their dissatisfaction with the Kremlin. His allies actively promoted this strategy, known as “Noon Against Putin,” in the weeks leading up to the election. 

In an interview conducted by the independent news outlet Meduza just hours before the assault, Volkov expressed concerns about the risks faced by Navalny’s team. “The primary risk is that we may all face fatal consequences,” Volkov was quoted as saying. 

Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, utilizing X, previously known as Twitter, described the reports of an attack on Volkov as “alarming” and emphasized that the individuals responsible for the assault must be held accountable for their actions. 

Source: AP