Daughter of Russian President Putin’s close aide Alexander Dugin killed in car explosion

Europe, News August 22, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

Darya Dugina, the 30-year-old journalist and daughter of Russia’s ultra-nationalist ideologue and President Putin’s close ally, Alexander Dugin, was killed in a car explosion in the suburbs of Moscow on August 20.

According to Russia’s Investigative Committee in the Moscow Region, an explosive device was presumably planted in Darya Dugina’s Toyota Land Cruiser Prado.

“On August 20 around 21:00 in the Odintsovo urban district near the village of Bolshiye Vyazemy, an explosive device, presumably installed in the Toyota Land Cruiser, went off on a public road and the car caught fire. The female driver died at the scene. We established the identity of the deceased: it is journalist and political analyst Darya Dugina,” the statement said.

The statement also mentioned that forensic experts and investigators have taken control of the site as they continue to investigate the possibilities of Kyiv’s involvement in the attack.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that “The Russian law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of Darya Dugina. If the Ukrainian trace is confirmed, and this version was voiced by DPR head Denis Pushilin, and it must be verified by the competent authorities, then we are talking about the policy of state terrorism implemented by the Kyiv regime.”

According to some local news agencies in Moscow, Darya was attending an event outside Moscow with her father Alexander Dugin and decided to switch cars with him at the last minute to travel back to Moscow city. The car later exploded resulting in the death of Darya.

On August 22, Russia’s federal security service FSB claimed to have solved the murder case of Russian journalist Darya Dugina. FSB stated that “As a result of urgent detective measures, the federal security service has solved the murder of Russian journalist Darya Dugina, born in 1992. The crime was prepared and committed by Ukrainian secret services.” Its perpetrator was identified as a citizen of Ukraine, Natalia Vovk, born in 1979.”

“The materials of the investigation have been handed over to the Investigative Committee,” the FSB added.

*^{Darya Dugina (right) with her father Alexander Dugin. (Image Credit: Breakinglatestnews)}*

Who is Alexander Dugin?

Alexander Dugin, Darya’s father, is a philosopher, journalist, and political analyst who has been a long-time ally and supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He is an ultra-nationalist ideologue and advocates for the unification of Russian territories to restore the ‘Russian Empire’ back to its original form.

Alexander is also an avid supporter of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and wants the Ukrainian territory to be included back in the ‘Russian Empire’. For his ideological support to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and his alliance with Putin, Alexander Dugin is on U.S.’s sanction list. Many analysts term Dugin as the “Rasputin of modern Russia”, however, his influence on President Putin is very minimal.

Darya Dugina, who also used the surname of Platonova, shared many of her political views with her father. She had been working as a reporter and political analyst for Russia’s state-owned media outlet. She broadly supported her father’s ideas regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine and called for strict actions against Ukraine.

Ukraine dismisses the accusation of involvement in the incident

Ukrainian officials have dismissed the accusation of their involvement in the killing of Darya Dugina. Advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Mykhailo Podolyak, responded to such accusations by stating that “I emphasize that 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.”