Russian diplomat shoots dead attempted thief in Rio de Janeiro

IT’S like the developing plot of a cold war film, with Russia now denying one of their diplomats in Olympic host city Rio shot a man dead in the street.

Brazilian soldiers standing guard near the Olympic Village in Rio de Janeiro. Picture: AFP

EXACTLY how and why a would-be robber was shot to death close to the Olympic Village in Rio de Janeiro today is becoming murkier by the minute, with Russia denying one of its diplomats was involved.

This is despite reports Moscow’s vice-counsel used his jujitsu skills to fell the assailant and then shoot him dead with the alleged mugger’s own gun.

The statement has raised the possibility that the man passed himself off as a Russian diplomatic representative.

Earlier today, Brazilian media identified 60-year-old Marcos Cesar Feres Braga as the high ranking Russian diplomat who fatally foiled an attack by gun-toting thieves who threatened his family.

The incident is said to have occurred at midday local time (1am AEST) in the Barra da Tijuca, one of the ritziest suburbs in the city and close to the city’s Olympic venues.

Local news outlet, O Globo, has reported two men approached the diplomat’s BMW which he was riding in with his wife and daughter at the time. One of the men broke a car window with the gun at which point the Russian used his jujitsu skills to fight back. He “reacted and entered into a battle with the thief, and during the fight, the criminal’s gun accidentally fired,” said O Globo.

A member of the Brazilian police patrols outside the Sambodromo stadium ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Picture: AFP

The suspect reportedly died instantly, while the other man managed to run away.

However, Russian media outlet RT, which routinely follow’s Moscow’s line on world affairs, has reported that claims the diplomatic killer was one of their men wasn’t true.

Consul General of the Russian Federation in Rio de Janeiro, Vladimir Tokmakov told Russian news agency TASS that, “Information circulating in the Brazilian press about the alleged shooting ... of a Brazilian national by a Russian diplomat during an armed robbery does not reflect reality.”

All Russian diplomats and security guards of the Rio mission were accounted for and “had nothing to do” with the incident the Consul General added. But RT reported that Mr Tokmakov could not “rule out” that the person in the incident could have told police he was a Russian diplomat, even if that wasn’t the case.

Nevertheless, images — reportedly of the diplomat’s car — show a sticker on the windscreen suggesting the car was connected to the Russian consulate.

The dead man’s body was said to have been left on the road for several hours while police conducted an investigation and was seen by a number of Olympic delegations on their way to and from the venues.