Russia: Murder of Putin consultant's daughter pre-planned

The murder of journalist and political scientist Darya Dugina is of a contract nature.

The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation made the remarks in its statement, TASS reports.

"Taking into account the data already received, the investigation believes that the crime was planned in advance and is of an ordered nature," the Investigative Committee noted.

Investigative Committee Chairman Aleksandr Bastrykin instructed to transfer the criminal case of Dugina's murder for further prompt, comprehensive and objective investigation to the Main Investigative Department of the Russian Investigative Committee.

According to the agency, on the evening of August 20, an explosive device went off in a Toyota Land Cruiser moving near the village of Bolshiye Vyazemy in the Moscow region, after which the car caught fire.

"It has already been established that an explosive device was planted under the bottom of the car on the driver's side. Darya Dugina died on the spot," the committee reported.

At the moment, investigators together with specialists of the Main Department of Criminalistics of the Russian Investigative Committee continue to inspect the scene. After the inspection of the burnt-out car by an explosives specialist, it was evacuated to a specialised parking area. To investigate the case, examinations were appointed, including biological, genetic, physicochemical, and explosive, a video recording was seized from the car's DVR, an instruction was sent to the operational services to identify the perpetrators of the crime and other witnesses of the incident.