The United States condemned the “brutal” attack suffered by a Russian opponent allied to Navalny in Lithuania

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The United States government has expressed deep concern over the “brutal” attack on Russian opponent Leonid Volkov, a close ally of the late Alexei Navalny, in Vilnius, where he is exiled due to persecution by the Kremlin. John Kirby, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, described the attack as “brutal and incredibly violent” and emphasized Volkov’s status as a strong critic of the Kremlin.

Volkov, who was considered Navalny’s ‘right-hand man’, was attacked with a hammer on Tuesday outside his home on the outskirts of Vilnius. He was hit multiple times with a hammer, sprayed with gas, and had his arm broken, according to local media reports and Volkov’s own account.

In a video posted on Telegram, Volkov directly accused Russia of being behind the attack, calling it a “criminal, typical greeting” reminiscent of Putin’s tactics. Despite the attack, Volkov vowed to continue his work and not give up.

The Kremlin has refrained from commenting on the incident, stating that they cannot comment on events that occur in other countries. However, the Lithuanian Intelligence services believe it is probable that the Russian authorities orchestrated the attack in an attempt to thwart opposition projects ahead of the next presidential elections.

Former Russian deputy Guennadi Gudkov has called on European governments to ensure the safety of opposition figures in exile, warning that a dangerous trend of targeting prominent Russian exiles is emerging. Gudkov asserted that the attack on Volkov is part of a larger pattern of attempts by the Russian agent network to eliminate opposition abroad.

The attack on Volkov comes just a month after Navalny’s death in a Russian prison, a tragedy that his allies and Western countries have linked directly to Putin. Volkov, 43, remains a prominent figure in the Russian opposition as former chief of staff to Navalny and president of the anti-corruption foundation.

The situation continues to develop, with tensions running high between Russia and its exiled opposition figures. The international community is closely monitoring the situation and calling for accountability for the violent attack on Leonid Volkov.