A Putin ally’s daughter was killed near Russia’s capital: What to know

The daughter of Alexander Dugin, a Russian nationalist and self-styled philosopher whose ideas helped shape the Kremlin’s narrative about Ukraine,

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was killed in a car explosion near Moscow on Saturday night, in what Russian investigative authorities said looked like a “murder for hire.”

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The incident already appears poised to become a flash point, as pro-Russian factions blame Ukraine without evidence — and Ukrainian officials deny any involvement.

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Daria Dugina, 29, was driving her father’s car from a festival they both attended when the blast occurred, engulfing the car in flames.

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Some outside analysts and friends of the family suspect that Dugin was the real target.

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Dugina, chief editor of a Russian disinformation website who was herself under U.S. sanctions, had also been deeply supportive of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine.

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Here’s what to know about the explosion and what it means for the war in Ukraine.

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Daria Dugina, daughter of Russian politologist Alexander Dugin, is pictured in the Tsargrad TV studio in Moscow, Russia, in this undated handout image obtained by Reuters on August 21, 2022. (Tsargrad.Tv/Via Reuters)

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