Putin’s close ally’s daughter killed in car bomb

Darya Dugina, daughter of a renowned Russian ideologue, Alexander Dugin, has been killed in a car bomb outside Moscow on Saturday evening.

Darya was killed after the suspected explosive device detonated on the Toyota Land Cruiser she was travelling in, Reuters quoting state investigators.

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Darya, a journalist and political expert was a strong advocate campaigning that Ukraine should be absorbed by his country.

Russia’s TASS state news agency quoted Andrei Krasnov, someone who knew Dugina, as saying the vehicle belonged to her father and that he was probably the intended target.

Darya and her father, Dugin had been attending a festival outside Moscow and Dugin had decided to switch cars at the last minute, according to Russian government newspaper, Rossiiskaya Gazeta.

TV footage provided along with the statement showed investigators collecting debris and fragments from the spot where the explosion occurred.

Investigators have opened a murder case and would be carrying out forensic examinations to find out what happened.

According to investigators, “all versions” will be considered as they investigate to find out the person, people or group responsible for the crime.

Dugin has long advocated the unification of Russian-speaking and other territories in a vast new Russian empire.

He wants that empire to include Ukraine where Russian forces are currently carrying out what Moscow calls a “special military operation” to demilitarise Ukraine, France 24 reports.

The influence of Dugin, who is on a U.S. sanctions list, over Russian President Vladimir Putin has been a subject of speculation, with some analysts asserting that his sway is significant.

However, some others have described his influence as not significant.

Darya Dugina, who also went by the surname Platonova and was reported by Russian state media to be 30 years old, broadly supported her father’s ideas and appeared on state TV in her own right to offer support for Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

Some reports said the deceased was 29 years old.