Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has accused the Ukrainian special services of assassinating Daria Dugina, the daughter of Alexander Dugin, philosopher and ideologist of the ‘Russian world’ concept, Interfax news agency reports.
“The perpetrator is Ukrainian national Vovk Natalya Pavlovna, born in 1979, who arrived in Russia on 23 July 2022 with her daughter Shaban Sofia Mikhailovna, born in 2020,” rhe FSB says. The Russian security service added that after the murder, Vovk had left Russia for Estonia through the Pskov region.
According to the FSB, the Ukrainian national rented a flat in the same apartment building as Dugina to plan out the murder. She also rented a Mini Cooper car, using the number plates of the self-proclaimed Donetsk “people’s republic” (“DPR”) Е982ХН DPR to enter Russia. In Moscow, she used Kazakh number plates 172AJD02, and Ukrainian AH7771IP plates when leaving Russia, the FSB stated.
“On the day of the murder, Vovk and Shaban were at the Tradition music festival that Dugina attended as an honoured guest,” the special service reports.
Earlier, adviser to the Ukrainian president Mykhailo Podolyak declared that Ukraine had nothing to do with Dugina’s death. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that in case Ukraine’s involvement in the death is found, “it is necessary to speak about state terrorism.”
On 20 August, at about 21:00, an explosion took place near in the village of Bolshye Vyazemy in the Moscow region. Violin player Petr Lundstrem stated that Daria’s father was supposed to drive in her car, but chose another vehicle at the last moment. After the explosion, he arrived at the scene and was then taken to hospital. The Russian Investigative Committee opened a criminal case in relation to murder committed in a publicly dangerous way.
