Leonid Volkov, a close ally of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, was attacked outside his home in Lithuania on March 12, independent Russian media and Navalny's spokeswoman were quoted by AFP as saying.
Volkov, 43, is a leading figure in the Russian opposition and was one of Navalny's close allies, serving until 2023 as the late leader's former chief of staff and as chairman of his Anti-Corruption Fund.
"Leonid Volkov has just been attacked outside his home. Someone broke his car window and sprayed tear gas in his eyes, after which the attacker started hitting Leonid with a hammer," Navalny spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh told X.
Navalny's allies shared photos showing Volkov's injuries, including a black eye, a red mark on his forehead and a hemorrhage on his leg that seeped through his jeans.
Yarmysh said Volkov is now at home and emergency services are en route.
She did not say where Volkov lives, but the independent Russian news agency Mediazona reported that he is currently in Lithuania.
News website Delfi quoted Lithuanian police as confirming that "a Russian citizen was beaten outside his home."
The attack comes nearly a month after Navalny's death in an Arctic prison, which Volkov blamed on President Vladimir Putin, and days before elections that should extend the Kremlin chief's stay in power. / BGNES
