Lithuania blames Kremlin
Shortly before the attack, Volkov spoke of danger from Putin
March 13, 2024, 3:46 p.m
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“Putin doesn’t just kill people in Russia,” said well-known Russian opposition figure Volkov in an interview on Tuesday. A few hours later he was brutally beaten in Vilnius. Lithuanian President Nauseda blames the Kremlin for the attack – and sends clear words to Putin.
Lithuania blames the Russian leadership for the attack on an exiled confidante of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, who died in Russian custody. The attack, in which Russian opposition figure Leonid Volkov said he was beaten and injured with a hammer by an unknown man in front of his house in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, was clearly planned, said President Gitanas Nauseda. Addressing Russian President Vladimir Putin, he added: “No one here is afraid of you.”
Volkov himself also blamed Putin. “This is an obvious, criminal ‘hello’ from Putin,” he wrote on Telegram. At the same time, he was combative: “We will continue to work and not give up. It’s hard, but we can do it… It’s good to know that I’m still alive.”
According to a former Navalny spokeswoman, Volkov was attacked with a hammer and tear gas on Tuesday. He suffered a broken arm, a bruised forehead and a leg injury. Volkov said he was hit on his leg with a hammer about 15 times. After a night in the hospital, he was able to go home on Wednesday morning.
Just a few hours before the attack, Volkov said in a Reuters interview that the leading representatives of the Navalny movement in exile feared for their lives. “You know that Putin doesn’t just kill people in Russia. He also kills people outside of Russia. We live in very dark times.”
Russian Embassy in Berlin called Volkov “pathetic outsider”
In an interview with ntv.de a few weeks ago, Volkov said, among other things, that Putin “must be fought and he must be destroyed.” The Russian embassy in Germany then published a post on X criticizing the interview and the statement. “We are deeply indifferent to the opinions of pathetic outsiders whose sole purpose in life is to multiply hatred against their own country,” the embassy wrote.
There was no statement from Moscow about the attack. Volkov, who like many of Navalny’s allies lives in exile in the West, has repeatedly antagonized the Russian authorities because he organized anti-Kremlin protests from Vilnius. He had also repeatedly called for Navalny’s release while he was still alive.
Suspect remains at large
Lithuania’s counterintelligence agency said the attack on Volkov was probably intended to prevent the Russian opposition from interfering in Russia’s presidential election. This is scheduled from Friday to Sunday. Putin’s re-election is considered a foregone conclusion.
Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis called the incident shocking. The perpetrators must be held accountable, he demanded. The Lithuanian police opened an investigation. That night, police officers, including an elite counter-terrorism unit, examined the crime scene on the northern edge of Vilnius. Suspects have not yet been identified, said a police spokeswoman. Police Chief Renatas Pozela said police were devoting “huge resources” to the case.
U.S. Ambassador to Lithuania Kara McDonald on These are inspiring for other people. “The Navalny team remains a clear voice against the Kremlin’s oppression and brutality.”