Putin ‘to exploit Dugin killing to wreak terror on Ukraine in DAYS’ – targets named

Darya Dugina: Russian TV host blames UK intelligence for death

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Meanwhile US intelligence sources fear fresh Russian attacks against Ukraine in the next few days, with the country’s President Volodymyr Zelensky having issued a general warning at the weekend. Ms Dugina, the 29-year-old daughter of prominent right-wing Russian political strategist Alexander Dugin, died in a car bomb attack in Moscow on Saturday night.

Mr Dugin himself is widely believed to have been the intended target.

Russia, and Putin, swiftly pointed the finger of blame at Ukraine itself – but Yuri Felshtinsky, author of Blowing up Ukraine: The Return of Russian Terror and the Threat of World War III, rejected their claims, believing the car bomb has “all the hallmarks of a GRU execution”, referring to a branch of the Russia security services.

Instead, he suggested the attack served a dual purpose, explaining: “Now, as always, the Kremlin is using Dugin in its own global propaganda war, counting on the fact that the international media does not realise that Dugin was considered uncontrollable and a persona non-grata at the Kremlin.”

Similarly, former CIA officer and Pentagon official Mick Mulroy told the New York Times he anticipated Russia would strike targets in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, using Ms Dugina’s death as a convenient excuse.

Meanwhile, Nikolai Petrov said Russia would also turn its repression inwards, explaining: “The purpose of Dugina’s murder could be 1) to remove one of the active and poorly controlled radical nationalists and 2) to use what happened as a pretext for tightening repression, including against relatives of those whom Putin does not like, what Kremlin propagandists are actively calling for now.”

A US official yesterday said the United States had intelligence that Russia was planning to launch fresh attacks against Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure and government facilities soon.

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The unnamed official said: “We have information that Russia is stepping up efforts to launch strikes against Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure and government facilities in the coming days.

“Given Russia’s track record in Ukraine, we are concerned about the continued threat that Russian strikes pose to civilians and civilian infrastructure.”

The official said the statement was based on downgraded US intelligence.

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A statement attributed to Dugin himself, who was pictured distraught at the scene of the explosion on Sunday night, and who reportedly had a heart attack, as a result, said: “Our hearts are not simply thirsting for revenge or retribution.

“We only need our victory. My daughter has sacrificed her young life on the altar of victory. So please win!”

However, Ukraine denies any involvement in Ms Dugina’s death, with Zelensky spokeswoman Mykhailo Podolyak dismissing Russia’s version of events as “a fictional world”.

Speaking on Saturday, Mr Zelensky said attacks on his country could be timed to coincide with the 31st anniversary of its independence tomorrow.

He added: “We should be aware that this week Russia may try to do something particularly nasty, something particularly cruel.”

His words were backed up by a statement issued by the Ukrainian National Police, which said: “Our enemy is insidious.

“It can deliver painful blows precisely on the days of the most important national holiday – the Independence Day of Ukraine.”

Fearing renewed rocket attacks, authorities in Kyiv moved to ban public events related to the independence anniversary from Monday until Thursday.

The capital is far from the front lines and has only rarely been hit by Russian missiles since Ukraine repelled a ground offensive to seize the capital in March.

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