US officials believe Ukraine behind assassination of Russian hardliner Darya Dugina

Despite denials from Kyiv, the US now reportedly believes Ukraine was behind the assassination of the daughter of one of Putin’s closest allies.

The US Government believes Ukraine was behind the assassination of the daughter of one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest allies in a brazen attack that shocked Moscow.

Darya Dugina was killed in August when a bomb exploded in a car she was travelling in outside Russia’s capital.

She was the daughter of Alexander Dugin, an ultranationalist and fascist Russian philosopher who is vehemently anti-American, anti-Western and is said to have the ear of Putin.

A journalist, Dugina echoed many of her father’s positions and had reported for Russian television from occupied Ukraine.

The Kremlin quickly said Ukraine was responsible for the attack.

At the time, senior Ukrainian officials poured cold water on Russia’s assertions. An unknown group called the “National Republican Army” – supposedly from within Russian and anti-Putin – also claimed responsibility.

Stream more world news live & on demand with Flash. 25+ news channels in 1 place. New to Flash? Try 1 month free. Offer ends 31 October, 2022 >

Darya Dugina was killed in a car-bomb attack outside Moscow in August.

However, US intelligence sources are said to now believe Kyiv was indeed responsible for the killing, reported the New York Times.

The move risks angering the US. It has backed Ukraine to the hilt in it military campaign to regain its lands following Russia’s invasion. But it also doesn’t want to be seen to be in direct conflict with Moscow.

For instance, the US is said to not share information with Kyiv which could see Russian officials targeted. Officials said Washington was in the dark about the Dugina operation.

According to the New York Times, Ukraine’s US embassy and the White House have refused to comment.

If true, the assassination would demonstrate Kyiv’s ability to undertake covert operations deep in Russian territory. Ukraine is thought to have been behind sabotage efforts in its territories occupied by Russia, including Crimea.

Darya Dugina’s father Alexander Dugin – a staunch Putin ally – at the site of the car bomb.

Following the killing of Dugina, Russia’s main security agency the FSB was quick to blame Ukraine.

In a statement, it pinned the attack on a female Ukrainian citizen born in 1979 called Natalia Vovk who, it said, previously served in the Ukrainian army in the Azov regiment which Moscow has previously labelled as neo-Nazis.

The FSB said the attacker arrived in Russia in July with her 12-year-old daughter and rented an apartment in the same building where Dugina lived.

The supposed attacker then followed Dugina in a Mini Cooper with registration plates issued in Kazakhstan, Ukraine and in the breakaway Donetsk People’s Republic in eastern Ukraine.

Putin said the murder of Dugina was “despicable”.

Russian ideologue Alexander Dugin attends a farewell ceremony for her daughter Darya Dugina, who was killed in a car bomb explosion. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)

“A despicable, cruel crime ended the life of Darya Dugina – a bright, talented person with a real Russian heart – kind, loving, sympathetic and open.

“A journalist, scientist, philosopher, war correspondent, she honestly served the people, the Fatherland, she proved by deed what it means to be a patriot of Russia.”

In August, Ukrainian presidential Adviser Mykhailo Podolyak denied that Kyiv authorities were involved.

“Ukraine surely doesn’t have anything to do with (the) explosion because we’re not a criminal state.”

The Kremlin’s version of events, Mr Podolyak said on Twitter was fanciful and that “Russian propaganda lives in a fictional world”.