The daughter of a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin has died after an explosion on a highway outside Moscow.
Russia’s investigative committee said Darya Dugina, 29, had been killed in a suspected car bomb attack.
Russian forces believe that her father, the Russian philosopher Alexander Dugin, may have been the actual target of the attack. He is a well-known advocate of ultra-nationalism and is thought to be close to the Russian president.
Dugin had been with his daughter at a Pro-Putin event near Moscow on Saturday night, where he gave a lecture to art lovers.
The two planned to leave in the same car, but Dugin reportedly made the last-minute decision to travel separately.
A harrowing video shared by Baza media showed the bereft father at the scene. After the explosion, the car became a ball of fire, and emergency services sirens sounded all over the place.
Darya Dugina served as a political analyst and editor of the pro-Putin magazine United World International. She also co-wrote a book about the war in Ukraine.
Police reports revealed that the car had caught fire after an explosive device placed underneath went off. Forensic experts said she died on the spot.
Putin supporters demanded revenge against Ukraine for murdering the daughter of Dugin, considered Putin’s spiritual guru and “Rasputin”.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova shared a post via Telegram, saying the attack would amount to “state terrorism” if any link to Ukraine is found.
Ukrainian officials dismissed the accusations and denied involvement in the incident.
Advisor to President Volodymyr Zelensky Mykhailo Podolyak said: “Ukraine, of course, has nothing to do with this, because we are not a criminal state, which is the Russian Federation, and even less a terrorist state.”
Darya Dugina has openly supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. US and British authorities sanctioned her for allegedly contributing to online “disinformation” about the Kremlin’s invasion of its neighboring country.
In an interview in May, the journalist said she was proud that both she and her father had been targeted by sanctions from Western nations.
