Eva Deschamps / April 6, 2024
The governor of the Murmansk oblast in northwest Russia was seriously injured in a knife attack, local media reported on Thursday evening.
Governor Andrei Chibis was meeting residents of the town of Apatity, on the Kola Peninsula. As he was leaving a building, the 45-year-old politician was attacked with a knife by a man. He was wounded in the stomach, requiring surgery, but his life is not in danger.
Law enforcement agencies were quickly able to arrest the suspect. The assailant's motives have not yet been established.
Attacks on political representatives are rare in Russia. According to local media, the main suspect is a 42-year-old railway worker who claims to have heard a voice telling him to attack the governor.
A governor's spokeswoman said the suspect was being questioned by the authorities.