Aleksandr Dugin (photo, left) is a Russian fascist who promotes the idea of totalitarian rule of all Europe, including Ireland, from the Kremlin. It’s hard to tell how influential he is, but some people call him “Putin’s brain,” and others think he masterminded the Ukraine invasion. That suggests a comprehensive roster of people who want him dead might fill a telephone book. That could make it difficult for Moscow police to figure out who blew his daughter to bits.
Another Putin stooge quickly blamed Ukrainians. Plausible, and an intriguing notion, but I’m skeptical their reach extends to Moscow. I think this more likely grew out of some domestic political rivalry.
As the U.K. tabloid Daily Mail framed it here, “a hit gone wrong.” But was it? Darya Dugina (photo, below) was involved in politics, too (details here), so maybe she was the intended target. Or maybe this was a message to her father, i.e., the Russian version of “we know where your family lives.”
In any case, hearts and flowers. Perhaps the U.S. ambassador should send a “Sorry your dog died” sympathy card. These aren’t nice people. And this being Russia, they should always look under the hood before turning the key in the ignition.
Update (8/21/22): Ukraine denied it was involved, saying it “is not a terrorist state,” and a Russian opposition politician claimed anti-Putin “Russian partisans” calling themselves the “National Republican Army” were responsible (see story here).