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After the violent attack on Kremlin critic Leonid Volkov, Lithuania wants to better protect representatives of the Russian and Belarusian opposition living in exile in the Baltic EU country.

“There are certain mechanisms that are being implemented now,” the head of the national crisis center, Vilmantas Vitkauskas, said on Lithuanian radio on Thursday. He gave no details. Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis also emphasized that the attack on Volkov shows that both people who have taken refuge in Lithuania and those living in the country are potential targets. “We must adapt to this new reality.”

Volkov, who lives in exile in Lithuania, was attacked and injured outside his home in Vilnius on Tuesday evening. The background to the crime is still unclear; the investigation is still ongoing. The Lithuanian secret service assumes that it was probably “an operation organized and carried out by Russia”. Vitkauskas also spoke of a “well-planned and professional operation,” which could be described as the first case of political terrorism in Lithuania.

In view of the presidential elections in Russia this weekend, Vitkauskas and Landsbergis called for vigilance. Lithuanian Foreign Minister said authorities are preparing for possible provocations. “We are in a sensitive region and must be prepared because we already live in a different reality,” Landsbergis said. (saw/sda/dpa)