The governor of Russia's northern Murmansk Region, Andrey Chibis, was attacked by a knife-wielding assailant on Thursday evening. The incident took place after a meeting with the residents of the town of Apatity, local authorities announced. Chibis has been transported to a local hospital with a stab wound and sent into surgery.
The incident happened at the entrance to the cultural center in the mining town, which is located on the Kola Peninsula, 185km from the regional capital.
According to the governor’s spokesperson, the attack happened suddenly and the perpetrator did not make any demands or shout any slogans. He was quickly apprehended by a Russian National Guard (Rosgvardiya) officer.
The suspect has not yet been officially identified. The Telegram channel Baza has named him as Aleksandr Bidanov, a 43-year-old local resident. The motive for the attack is unknown as of yet.
Chibis was stabbed in the abdomen. He was well enough to walk to his car by himself but was rushed to surgery upon arriving at the Apatity-Kirov Central City Hospital, the authorities said.
The meeting, which Chibis announced on Tuesday, was attended by over 300 people, including local activists and entrepreneurs.
A former deputy construction minister and housing inspector, Chibis became governor of Murmansk Region in September 2019. He is a member of the ruling United Russia party.