In front of his home

Navalny confidant brutally beaten with a hammer

Leonid Volkov

(Bild: AP)

Alexei Navalny's close confidant Leonid Volkov (43) is said to have been brutally beaten with a hammer by an attacker outside his home. This is also confirmed by Kira Yarmish, who was the Kremlin critic's spokesperson until his death.

"Leonid Volkov has just been attacked near his house. They smashed the window of his car and sprayed tear gas in his eyes," Navalny's former spokeswoman told the "X" platform late on Tuesday evening. The attacker then allegedly hit Volkov with a hammer.

Police and ambulance came to the house
"Leonid is at home, the police and an ambulance are on their way to him," Yarmish said that same evening. However, it is unclear where Volkov, one of Russia's best-known opposition figures, is. According to media reports, he is said to be in Lithuania.

Hit 15 times on the leg with a hammer
The 43-year-old also spoke out in an online video on Wednesday: He had been the victim of a "typical" attack by Russian President Vladimir Putin's henchmen. In the video published on Telegram, he also stated that his arm had been broken in the attack. The unknown man also hit his leg about 15 times with a hammer.

Navalny collapsed during a walk
Volkov was one of Navalny's closest confidants, including his former chief of staff. Navalny was found lifeless on February 16. The 47-year-old Kremlin critic collapsed during a walk in the penal colony in Siberia where he was serving a long prison sentence.