Key things to know about Putin ally Alexander Dugin, whose daughter was killed by a car bomb outside Moscow
Analysis from CNN's Tim Lister and Josh Pennington
Alexander Dugin, whosedaughter Daryawas killed Saturday by a car bomb outside of Moscow, is the high priest of a virulent brand ofRussiannationalism that has become increasingly influential in Russia's capital.
At the age of 60, from a family of Russian military officers, his journey has been remarkable: from fringe ideologue to the leader of a prominent strand of thinking in Russia that sees it at the heart of a "Eurasian" empire defying Western decadence. He is the spiritual founder of the term "the Russian world."
Along the way, this strand has incorporated a deep loathing of Ukraine's identity outside of Russia.
Dugin helped revive the expression "Novorossiya" or New Russia — which included the territories of parts of Ukraine — before the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014. Russian President Vladimir Putin used the word in declaring Crimea part of Russia in March of that year.
Dugin has long had a visceral loathing of Ukrainians resisting assimilation into "mother Russia." After dozens of pro-Russian protesters were killed during clashes in Odesa in May 2014, he said: "Ukraine has to be either vanished from Earth and rebuilt from scratch or people need to get it. I think people in Ukraine need total revolt on all levels and in all regions. An armed revolt against junta. Not only in the South-East.
"I think kill, kill and kill. No more talk anymore. It is my opinion as a professor,"he said.
The following year, Dugin was sanctioned by the United States as "complicit in actions or policies that threaten the peace, security, stability, or sovereignty or territorial integrity of Ukraine."
Read the full analysis here.
Ukraine denies Russian media reports that Dugina's alleged killer had served in Azov regiment
From CNN's Tim Lister and Victoria Butenko
Ukraine's national guard denied reports in Russian state media that the alleged killer of Darya Dugina had previously served in the Ukrainian military as a member of the Azov regiment.
The Russian state news agency RIA Novosti had shared a post from a Telegram channel run by Russian hackers (RaHDit) which claimed that the alleged assailant — a woman — had served in Azov, which is categorized in Russia as a terrorist organization.
With this report, Russian propagandists are "trying to justify among its citizens the previous decision to recognize a unit of the National Guard of Ukraine as a terrorist organization, showing Russians 'crimes committed by Azov' on the territory of the Russian Federation," the National Guard said.
The woman had not served in the Azov unit of the National Guard, it added.
In a statement, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence spokesperson Andriy Yusov called the reports of National Guard's involvement in the car bombing "fake."
“The National Guard is fulfilling its legal tasks at the territory of Ukraine,” he said. “Both Dugin and his daughter are marginal characters and not a point of interest to Ukraine.”
Ukrainian official says Russia's Darya Dugina murder accusation shows it lives in "fictional world"
From CNN's Tim Lister
A senior Ukrainian official has provided the first official comment from Kyiv on the accusation by the Russian Security Service — the FSB — that Ukrainian security services murdered Darya Dugina in a car bomb attack near Moscow on Saturday.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the head of the office of the Ukrainian President, commented on Twitter:
"Ru-propaganda lives in a fictional world: 🇺🇦 [Ukrainian] woman and her 12-year-old child were "assigned" responsible for blowing up the car of propagandist Dugina. Surprisingly, they did not find the "Estonian visa" on the spot," he said, a reference to the claim by the FSB that the woman had since escaped to Estonia.
Podolyak added: "Vipers in 🇷🇺 [Russian] special services started an intraspecies fight."
On Sunday, Podolyak strenuously denied Ukraine's involvement in the car explosion, saying in a Ukrainian TV interview that "Ukraine definitely has nothing to do with this because we are not a criminal state, which the Russian Federation is, and even more so, we are not a terrorist state,"
Father of Darya Dugina blames Ukraine for her death
From CNN's Uliana Pavlova
Alexander Dugin has made his first comments about the murder of his daughter Darya Dugina by a car bombing, blaming Ukraine for her death.
Dugin is the high priest of a virulent brand ofRussiannationalism that has become increasingly influential in Moscow.
Dugina was killed during an explosion "in front of my eyes" while "returning from the Tradition festival near Moscow," he said in a statement through his friend Konstantin Malofeev's Telegram channel.
"She was a beautiful Orthodox girl, a patriot, a military correspondent, an expert on central channels, and a philosopher. Her speeches and reporting have always been profound, grounded and restrained. She never called for violence and war," he continued. "She was a rising star at the beginning of her journey. The enemies of Russia meanly, stealthily killed her."
He called for Russian victory in the wake of her death.
"But we, our people, cannot be broken even by such unbearable blows," his statement read. "Our hearts yearn for more than just revenge or retribution. It's too small, not the Russian way. We only need our Victory. My daughter laid her maiden life on her altar. So win, please!"
A memorial service will be held for Dugina on Tuesday, he added.
Ukraine on Sunday strenuously denied any involvement in the car explosion, with Mykhailo Podoliak, adviser to the head of the office of the President of Ukraine, saying in a Ukrainian TV interview that "Ukraine definitely has nothing to do with this because we are not a criminal state, which the Russian Federation is, and even more so, we are not a terrorist state."
Putin calls Darya Dugina's murder a "vile, cruel crime"
From CNN's Uliana Pavlova
Russian President Vladimir Putin has commented for the first time on the murder of political commentator Darya Dugina, who was killed in a car bomb attack near Moscow on Saturday.
Putin on Monday sent his condolences to Dugina’s family, calling her death “a vile, cruel crime.”
Dugina was the daughter of prominent Russian ultranationalist Alexander Dugin.
The Russian Federal Security Services earlier Monday blamed Ukrainian security services for being behind the attack.Ruslan Muzychuk, spokesperson for the Ukrainian National Guard, told CNN that Ukrainian authorities for now had no response to the claim.
In a statement published on the Kremlin's Telegram channel, Putin said, “A vile, cruel crime cut short the life of Daria 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," he added.
CNN's Tim Lister contributed reporting to this post.
Ireland reopens embassy in Kyiv after nearly 6 months of closure
From CNN's Niamh Kennedy
Ireland has reopened its embassy in Kyiv after nearly six months of closure, according to the Irish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"The Embassy of Ireland to Ukraine has resumed operations in Kyiv, having operated remotely since the Russian invasion of Ukraine," the Department of Foreign Affairs announced in a news release Monday.
Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney stressed that the embassy team's priority will be "renewing and building their network of contacts with Ukrainian government officials to better inform Ireland’s provision of support and assistance to the government and people of Ukraine.
Coveney took a trip to Kyiv in April, visiting areas "directly impacted by the war" and meeting Ukrainian officials including his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, according to the news release.
Foreign countries have gradually reopened their embassies in the Ukrainian capital after shutting their doors following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. The United States reopened its embassy in the city on May 18.
Russia blames Ukrainian security service for murder of Darya Dugina, state news agency TASS reports
From CNN's Lister and Uliana Pavlova
Russia has blamed an agent with the Ukrainian security service for a car bomb explosion that killed Darya Dugina, a Russian political commentator and daughter of prominent ultranationalist ideologue Alexander Dugin, according to Russian state news agency TASS.
"The murder of journalist Darya Dugina has been solved, it was prepared by the Ukrainian special services, by a citizen of Ukraine," TASS reported, citing the Russian security service, which named a woman as the perpetrator and said she had fled to Estonia after the attack.
It has been established that "the crime was prepared and committed by the Ukrainian special services," per TASS.
Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said that the assailant had arrived in Russia on July 23, 2022, together with her young daughter, TASS reported. The pair attended the festival near Moscow on Saturday where Dugina was a guest of honor.
The FSB said that after remotely detonating explosives planted in Dugina's Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, the pair drove through the Pskov region to Estonia, a journey of around 12 hours.
The FSB said that the woman had rented an apartment in Moscow in the same building where Dugina lived. "The criminals used a Mini Cooper car to monitor the journalist," TASS reported.
The FSB said that the woman had used a variety of identity documents, entering with one issued by the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic and leaving on a Ukrainian document, the report added.
CNN cannot independently verify the FSB claims cited by the TASS report.
Earlier, a Russian foreign ministry officialimplied that Ukrainian statestructures were responsible for the explosion, a claim that Ukrainian authorities have denied.
“Ukraine definitely has nothing to do with this because we are not a criminal state, which the Russian Federation is, and even more so, we are not a terrorist state,” MykhailoPodolyak, adviser to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said in a Ukrainian TV interview.
He also tweeted on Monday, providing the first official comment from Kyiv specifically on the accusation from the Russian security service.
"Ru-propaganda lives in a fictional world: 🇺🇦 [Ukrainian] woman and her 12-year-old child were "assigned" responsible for blowing up the car of propagandist Dugina. Surprisingly, they did not find the "Estonian visa" on the spot," he said, a reference to the claim by the FSB that the woman had since escaped to Estonia.
It's mid-afternoon in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know.
From CNN staff
As Ukraine prepares for its Independence Day, President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Moscow might attempt "something particularly ugly" and events to celebrate the occasion in the country's two largest cities have been canceled.
Meanwhile, media personalities in Moscow have called for strikes on Kyiv following the murder of Darya Dugina, a Russian political commentator and the editor of a disinformation website called United World International, on Saturday.
On the ground in Ukraine, Russian forces have made limited gains pushing north from the occupied southern city of Kherson, while the Ukrainian military says it continues to target bridges and weapons concentrations in the region.
Here are the latest headlines:
- Zelensky warns of "ugly" attacks coinciding with Ukraine's independence day: Events to mark Ukraine's Independence Day on Wednesday have been banned in the country's capital, Kyiv, and second-largest city, Kharkiv, as Zelensky and other officials warn that Russia may carry out missile attacks.
- Ukraine hits occupied southern areas: The Ukrainian military says it has continued attacks on Russian-held parts of the southern region of Kherson, including against bridges and weapons concentrations. Social media reports and images Monday indicated there had been a number of strikes around Kherson city and Nova Kakhovka.
- Russia sees limited success in offensive: Russian forces have made some progress in pushing north from the occupied southern city of Kherson towards Mykolaiv, according to Ukrainian officials. "In the Mykolaiv direction, the occupiers carried out assaults in the area of the settlement of Blahodatne, with partial success," said the Ukrainian general staff.
- More details emerge on Dugina killing: The car bomb that killed Darya Dugina was detonated remotely, reports Russian state media, and surveillance cameras at the venue where Dugina attended a festival were not working. Russian media personalities have demanded strikes against "decision-making" centers in Ukraine following her murder.
Ukrainian military resumes attacks on Russian targets in Kherson
From CNN's Tim Lister
The Ukrainian military says it has continued attacks on Russian-held parts of the southern region of Kherson, including against bridges and weapons concentrations.
"Two strikes were made by our aircraft on a stronghold, a concentration of manpower, weapons and equipment in the areas of Oleksandrivka and Burkhanivka," which are on the border of Mykolaiv and Kherson regions, Operational Command South said Monday.
The bridge at Nova Kakhovka was also hit, the command said.
"The occupiers are trying to repair the bridge; they have brought additional slabs. However, our armed forces are adjusting these efforts," said Serhii Khlan, an advisor to the head of the Kherson Civil Military Administration.
Social media reports and images Monday indicated there had been a number of strikes around Kherson city and Nova Kakhovka. One geolocated photograph showed a plume of smoke rising from the area of the Antonivskiy bridge over the river Dnipro. The bridge has been repeatedly hit and is seriously damaged. Russian forces have been trying to arrange pontoon bridges across the river.
"The Antonivskiy railway bridge is not functioning. The occupiers are trying to repair the Antonivskiy road bridge. There is a moving pontoon crossing. The Russians do not have a full supply of needs. Currently, they are installing some kind of engineering structure near the Antonivskiy bridge; fastening the barges to the piers of the bridge," Khlan added.
For the last six weeks, Ukrainian forces have been using long range weapons to hit Russian concentrations of munitions, transport links and command posts in the south.
