Lithuania’s State Security Department (VSD) assessed Russian opposition figure Leonid Volkov’s case in a broader context when deciding whether he could remain in the country, its director Remigijus Bridikis, has said.
The remarks follow controversy over Volkov's comments about Ukrainian military figures.
Bridikis told reporters that the evaluation went beyond individual public statements and took into account wider circumstances, including the fact that Volkov is being prosecuted and has been convicted in Russia.
“A comprehensive assessment was made, covering not just rhetoric or individual words, but the broader context,” Bridikis said. “A very important factor is that the person is being persecuted and convicted in Russia. That is one of the key points.”
He acknowledged that Volkov’s comments had prompted strong reactions but said intelligence services must not be guided by emotion.
“People express different and not necessarily acceptable opinions. But we are an intelligence service, we have to assess the full context and cannot give in to emotions. There are a lot of emotions here,” he said.
Bridikis added that the decision would be reviewed if any national security threats were identified under the department’s internal criteria, which he declined to detail.
The debate regarding Volkov's residence in Lithuania, was sparked by his statements, circulated online by Ana Tiron, a former employee of the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) who later joined the Russian Volunteer Corps fighting in Ukraine.
In one post shared widely on social media, Volkov appeared to welcome the reported killing of Denis Kapustin, commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps, which has carried out cross-border raids into Russia during the war. He also made critical remarks about senior Ukrainian officials.
Following the controversy, Lithuania’s Migration Department asked the State Security Department to assess whether the comments posed a threat to national security.
Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovič previously said that an institutional review had found no evidence that Volkov supports the Russian regime or its war against Ukraine.
A former close ally of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in prison in 2024, Volkov has held a temporary residence permit in Lithuania since fleeing Russia in 2019 after criminal charges were brought against him. He has been on Russia’s wanted list since 2021.
In March 2024, Volkov was attacked in his car near his home in Vilnius. An assailant smashed a window, sprayed tear gas and beat him with a meat tenderizer, breaking his arm bruising his leg.
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