A long-time ally of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was recovering yesterday after being savagely attacked with “meat hammer” outside his home in Lithuania.
Leonid Volkov was assaulted with the hammer and tear gas while in his car in Vilnius on Tuesday night, said Navalny spokesman Kira Yarmysh.
The assailant is unknown, as is their motive, but a number of opponents of Russian President Vladimir Putin have been targeted in the run-up to the country’s election this weekend.
Yesterday, a badly injured Mr Volkov told how his arm was broken and his leg hit 15 times with the hammer, and warned that the attack had been politically motivated.
He said it was “an obvious, typical, gangster greeting from Putin, from bandit St Petersburg”, but gave no more details about his attacker.
In a video posted on social media, Mr Volkov, with his arm in his sling, revealed that his attacker had used a meat hammer and “literally wanted to make a schnitzel out of me”.
But he vowed the attack would not stop his political activism and he called on voters in Russia to join a peaceful protest on Sunday, the final day of voting in Russia’s presidential election, in which no genuine opposition candidate has been allowed to run.
Police in Lithuania have started an investigation into the attack, which took place as the activist arrived at home in Vilnius in his car.
“Several theories have been put forward, and when it becomes clearer, we will be able to provide more information,” said police deputy commissioner Saulijus Tamulevicius.
Another member of the Navalny team, Ivan Zhdanov, posted pictures on social media showing Mr Volkov with a bloodied lower left leg and bruising to his head.
Asked whether the assailant had shouted anything, Mr Zhdanov said: “Everything happened in silence … of course this is a clear political attack, there is no doubt here.”
Mr Volkov’s wife, who is also part of the Navalny team, said her husband had returned home from hospital with a broken arm, adding that he was unable to walk because of the hammer blows to his leg.
“We will all work even more. And with even greater anger,” Anna Biryukova posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
His death has widely been blamed on Putin, who many believe gave the order for him to be killed.
He was chairman of Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation until last year, when he resigned following the revelation he had signed letters calling for the EU to drop some Russian sanctions.
But several of Navalny’s former team are now in prison, as well as some of his lawyers.
