Alexander Dugin's Daughter Killed by Anti-War Russians: Former State Deputy

A car explosion Saturday night in Moscow has grabbed worldwide attention, mostly because of the death of Daria Dugina, daughter of Alexander Dugin, the man known for Russian propaganda and otherwise known as Russian President Vladimir Putin's "brain."

Dugina was in her father's car Saturday night when it exploded. Many think the blast was intended for her father, who wasn't in the vehicle when it happened.

On Sunday evening, a former Russian state deputy said the country's National Republic Army (NRA) was responsible.

"This action (the murder of Dugina - ed.), like many other direct action partisan actions carried out on the territory of Russia in recent months, was carried out by the National Republic Army," former deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Ilya Ponomaryov said in a speech. "We connected with its fighters with the help of our resource Rospartyzan, which highlights the rising tide of resistance in Russia. NRA fighters authorized me to read their manifesto today."

The manifesto, published by Ukrainian media outlet Ukrainska Pravda, states the National Republic Army outlaws "warmongers, robbers and oppressors of the peoples of Russia!"

"We declare President Putin a usurper of power and a war criminal who amended the Constitution, unleashed a fratricidal war between the Slavic peoples and sent Russian soldiers to certain and senseless death," the manifesto reads on the NRA's Telegram page. "Poverty and coffins for some, palaces for others - the essence of his policy."

The NRA says "disenfranchised people have the right to rebel against tyrants."

"Putin will be deposed and destroyed by us!" the manifesto continues. "Our goal is to stop the destruction of Russia and its neighbors, to stop the activities of a handful of Kremlin businessmen who have sucked on the wealth of our people and are committing crimes today inside and outside the country."

Russian state media outlet TASS first reported Saturday night about the explosion of Dugin's Toyota Land Cruiser Prado near the village of Velyki Vyazomy in the suburbs of Moscow, and the subsequent death of his daughter.

Ukrainska Pravda recently reported that Dugin has been a driving force of Russian propaganda since the Crimean invasion in 2014 and one of the architects of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

"Dugin is on the U.S. sanctions list against persons guilty of aggression against Ukraine. Dugin is the founder of the ideological movement "Neo-Eurasianism" and his political activity is aimed at creating a Eurasian superpower through the integration of Russia with the former Soviet republics into the new Eurasian Union," Ukrainska Pravda reported. "Dugin is considered an ideologue of "racism," called for the murder of Ukrainians. The international press calls Dugin "Putin's Rasputin" or "Putin's brain," who helped shape Putin's view of Russia. Dugin was also the editor-in-chief of the propaganda Russian TV channel Tsargrad TV."

Alexander Dugin in late April said that any country providing weapons to aid Ukraine in the fight against Russia should be prepared for Russia to, in turn, supply weapons against any of their aggressors.

"If the United States and European countries are calmly supplying weapons to Ukraine, why shouldn't Russia also supply various weapons systems to its partners and proxies," Dugin wrote on the Russian social media network Tuesday.

That meant Russia supplying any weaponry to Cuba, Venezuela or any other country within striking distance to the U.S.

The Russia-Ukraine war is entering its half-year mark this week, with Wednesday being the midpoint.

Correction 08/22/22, 7:49 a.m. ET: This article was updated to correct the spelling of Daria Dugina's surname.