The head of Russia's central election committee was attacked at night by a masked assailant who climbed into her house and hit her with a taser, Russian police said Friday. The attack on 65-year-old Ella Pamfilova, at around 1:30 am (Thursday 2330 GMT) came ahead of contentious regional elections on Sunday, which have prompted large protests in Moscow.

Police described the attack in a village outside Moscow as "armed assault," saying the offender "entered the house's conservatory via a window and hit the owner with an electric shocker several times, after which he fled". Pamfilova on Friday took part in a conference in Moscow and television footage did not show any visible injuries. Speaking to Rossiya 24 she said she hurt her finger while trying to fight off the attacker.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2019