GROZNY, July 4. /TASS/. Chechnya police are investigating the recent assault on reporter Yelena Milashina and lawyer Alexander Nemov, the regional Interior Ministry office told TASS.
"An investigation is underway. A proceeding decision will be made based on the outcome of the investigation. An operation is now underway to identify and detain the persons that were involved in the assault," the regional office said.
After suffering an attack by unidentified assailants in Chechnya on Tuesday, Milashina and Nemov were taken to a hospital in another southern Russian region, North Ossetia. Russian human rights commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova has reached out to the Chechen Investigative Committee, Interior Ministry and prosecutor’s office in connection with the attack. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the incident as "a very serious attack requiring very vigorous action" and said that the Russian President Vladimir Putin had been briefed about the assault. Chechnya head Ramzan Kadyrov instructed law enforcement agencies to identify the attackers.