The attack on Leonid Volkov, a close associate of the late Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, was likely organised and implemented by Russia, the State Security Department (VSD) said on Wednesday.
“It is likely that the attack on Leonid Volkov in Vilnius on March 12, 2024, is a Russian-organised and implemented operation aimed at stopping the implementation of the Russian opposition’s projects in connection with the forthcoming undemocratic Russian presidential elections,” the VSD said in a statement.
According to Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė, the threat level in Lithuania has not increased despite the attack on Volkov.
“As far as the threat level in our country is concerned, it certainly has not increased as a result of this particular event. I want to assure you that our people can feel safe,” she told journalists on Wednesday.
“Of course, such provocations, have been seen lately and have become our daily routine. And especially [...] we can see that they may increase, probably in connection with the pseudo-elections in Russia,” Bilotaitė added.
Police Commissioner General Rentas Požėla said that the incident is being investigated by the Criminal Police and that a large number of officers are involved.
“I would like to say that immediately after the incident, the Criminal Police Bureau took over this investigation. It is really a huge effort, both in terms of analytical capacity and physical capacity,” he told a press conference.
Leonid Volkov, former chief of staff of Alexei Navalny, was attacked with a hammer outside his house in Vilnius on Tuesday evening. He is undergoing outpatient treatment after receiving medical assistance. A pre-trial investigation into minor bodily harm has been opened.
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