WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE ATTACK ON DARYA DUGINA (updated)

 

News 

By Michael Carbone 

Attack on Darya Dugina, daughter of Aleksandr Dugin, a famous philosopher known for his closeness to Putin.

The car reportedly exploded on the Mozhayskoye highway near the village of Velyki Vyazomi on the outskirts of Moscow, Russia's capital. According to Russian media Darya was returning together with Aleksandr from a demonstration and only at the last moment did her father get into another car, escaping death.

Darya was 31 years old and was engaged in journalism, philosophy, and political science. She had been placed on the U.K. sanctions list in July 2022.

A video shows Dugin at the scene of the explosion in which his daughter Darya was killed.

Alexander Dugin had planned to go with his daughter, but at the last moment he got into another car, according to violinist Pyotr Lundstrem. Both were returning from the traditional family festival at the Zakharovo estate, where they were invited as honored guests.

Early hypotheses of the bombing 

According to reports in Shot, violinist Petr Lundstrem reported that Darya Dugina was returning from the Traditional Music Festival in Zakharovo, and was traveling in a car in which her father Aleksandr Dugin was also supposed to be in. According to some speculation circulated after the explosion, but not confirmed, the target of the alleged attack was supposed to have been Dugin himself, but the political scientist did not get into the car with his daughter. Instead, Dugin would have been in another vehicle, which was following his daughter's. This would explain his presence at the scene of the bombing shortly after the explosion. A video shows political scientist Alexander Dugin in despair, his hands on his face before the remains of the car ravaged by flames. At first, police initially speculated that the explosion was due to the bursting of a gas cylinder, but later the hypothesis of a crude device loaded on board the car gained ground.

Update 08/22/2022 

Darya Dugina killed by Azov battalion woman now fled to Estonia?

For Russian intelligence, the person responsible for Darya Dugina's death would be Natalia Vovk, now fled to Estonia, believed to be a member of the Azov battalion. 

In recent hours, in fact, an image of an identity document has surfaced on several sites close to the Kremlin that qualifies the woman as a member of the paramilitary corps. 

Born in 1979, Natalia Vovk arrived in Russia on July 23 along with her daughter, and exited the country from the Pskov region, from where she reached Estonia, according to the FSB-the Russian intelligence service. According to Tass reports citing Russian law enforcement sources, Natalia Vovk "will be placed on the wanted list for extradition purposes." 

In order to spy on the journalist and learn about her habits, Natalia Vovk, in the days leading up to the murder allegedly rented an apartment in the same Moscow building where the victim lived. In addition, according to reconstructions made by the FSB, Vovk allegedly used a Mini Cooper car to tail Darya Dugina and that "when she entered Russia, the vehicle had a license plate of the Donetsk People's Republic - E982XH Dpr, in Moscow a license plate of Kazakhstan, 172AJD02, and when she left a Ukrainian license plate AH7771IP."

"A vile and cruel crime" that cut short the life of a "brilliant and talented person, a true Russian heart, kind, loving, understanding and open." So Russian President Vladimir Putin wrote in a condolence message released by the Kremlin's Telegram channel. "To the homeland-he continued the Russian president-he showed with deeds what it means to be a patriot of Russia."