US intelligence agencies believe Ukraine is responsible for the murder of journalist Daria Dugina, daughter of ultra-nationalist ideologue Aleksandr Dugin. That reports the American newspaper The New York Times on Wednesday.
Russia blamed Ukraine’s secret service a day after the 29-year-old’s death. Kiev denies having played a role. Dugina died near Moscow in August when a bomb exploded under her car. Like her father, who is said to have a lot of influence in the Kremlin, she was a supporter of the war in Ukraine.
The New York Times reports that the United States had no prior knowledge of the attack and was not involved in any way. No details are shared about which Ukrainian officials are behind the murder. It is not known whether President Volodymyr Zelensky has given permission.
“Not a tactical target”
Zelensky’s adviser Mikhail Podoljak has again told the newspaper that Ukraine is not behind the attack. “A wartime assassination must fulfill a specific purpose, tactical or strategic. Someone like Dugina is not a tactical or strategic target for Ukraine,” he said.
Dugina had attended an event outside Moscow with her father just before her death. They were supposed to travel back to the capital together, but that plan fell through at the last minute. It is therefore speculated whether Dugin may have been the target. The ideologue is also called ‘the brain’ of President Vladimir Putin.
Lack of transparency
The New York Times further writes that US officials are frustrated with Ukraine’s lack of transparency about its military and secret plans, especially in Russia. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, the Ukrainian secret service has carried out several sabotage plans on Russian soil, according to the newspaper. The murder of Dugina is said to have been one of the most daring operations to date.
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