Lithuanian authorities have concluded that the presence of Russian opposition figure Leonid Volkov in the country does not pose a threat to national security, Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovič said Thursday.
“A representative of the Russian opposition holds a temporary residence permit and may continue living in Lithuania,” Kondratovic told a news conference.
He said the assessment found no evidence that Volkov supports the Russian government or its war against Ukraine.
The scrutiny followed public outrage that erupted earlier this month when Anna Tiron, a former employee of the Anti-Corruption Foundation founded by late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, published a private exchange with Volkov, who lives in Vilnius.
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In a screenshot that circulated online, Volkov appeared to welcome the reported killing of far-right militant Denis Kapustin, a leader of the Russian Volunteer Corps – a group of Russian fighters who have carried out cross-border raids into Russia during Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Following the publication, the Migration Department asked the State Security Department to assess whether Volkov’s statements could pose a threat to national security.
“Mr Volkov’s situation was assessed in a broader context, taking into account the entire information environment, including Ukraine’s position on this matter,” Interior Minister Kondratovič said. “Given the public reaction to certain statements, the issue was reviewed not merely as private correspondence between two individuals.”
Migration Department Director Indrė Gasperė said the decision to ask for the State Security Department’s investigation was made independently of public opinion or media commentary.
“The Migration Department made this decision without relying on positions circulating in society or journalists’ assessments,” she said, adding that Volkov’s legal status remains unchanged.
“The favourable decision does not mean there was no evaluation,” Gasperė said. “In a sense, this is a warning – a yellow card.”
Volkov holds a temporary residence permit in Lithuania. A close ally of Navalny, who died two years ago, Volkov has been sentenced in absentia by Russian authorities to 18 years in prison.
He left Russia in 2019 after criminal charges were brought against him and has been on Russia’s wanted list since 2021.
In March 2023, Volkov was attacked in Vilnius while sitting in his car near his home. The assailant smashed a car window, sprayed tear gas and beat him with a meat tenderizer, breaking his arm and injuring his leg.
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