In a shocking incident in Russia’s Murmansk region, located in the Arctic, Governor Andrei Chibis was stabbed in the stomach by an unidentified assailant following a public meeting, as reported by Russian news outlets citing the governor’s media team.
The attack occurred just as Governor Chibis was leaving a town hall meeting in Apatity, which lies to the south of Murmansk’s northern port.
According to the press service, “Following an armed assault, the governor sustained a stab wound to his abdomen. The perpetrator has been apprehended.”
Despite the serious injury, Governor Chibis remained alert and managed to walk to his vehicle on his own.
En route to the hospital, he was able to converse and respond to inquiries, displaying bravery and a positive spirit throughout the ordeal.
The motive behind the attack remains undisclosed by the reports. Attacks of this nature against government officials are uncommon in Russia, especially in remote Arctic areas like Murmansk, situated approximately 1,500 kilometres (900 miles) north of Moscow.
The Russian army announced an increase in the number of people volunteering to fight in Ukraine since last month’s devastating terrorist attack on a music concert hall in Moscow, with the number of volunteers reaching 16,000 after the incident.
The terrorist organization ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, which claimed the lives of over 140 people and was the deadliest of its kind in Russia in years.
However, President Vladimir Putin has continued to assert that Ukraine was involved in planning the attack.