Murmansk Governor Discharged From Hospital After Knife Attack

Murmansk region Governor Andrei Chibis said Friday that he was discharged from the hospital after undergoing surgery for wounds he received from a knife attack last week.

Chibis was hospitalized on April 4 after being stabbed in the stomach in the Arctic town of Apatity following a meeting with residents. A local man, who admitted to attacking Chibis out of “personal animosity,” was arrested on charges of attempted murder.

“I’m finally home,” Chibis wrote on the messaging app Telegram, sharing a photo of himself and his wife.

The 45-year-old regional leader said he was recovering “gradually” and praised doctors for helping him avoid complications during surgery.

“The doctors agreed to discharge me with the firm promise to follow all recommendations and procedures under the supervision of medical staff,” Chibis said.

Chibis’ deputy Nadezhda Aksyonova will serve as acting governor of Murmansk during his recovery, the Murmansk regional government said.

Armed attacks on public officials are rare in Russia. The last time a regional head faced an attack was in 2009 when the former head of the republic of Ingushetia, Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, was wounded in a suicide bombing.