On the morning of May 6, the Audi Q7 car of the writer and politician Zakhar Prilepin was blown up in the Nizhny Novgorod region. Prilepin was seriously injured in his leg, his driver died at the scene. The Investigation Committee opened a criminal case concerning the act of terrorism (Article 205 of the Criminal Code).
A few hours after the explosion, the Ministry of Interior announced the arrest of a suspect. It turned out to be 29-year-old Ukrainian Alexander Permyakov, who was previously convicted.
During interrogation, he stated that he was recruited by the Ukrainian special services in 2018. According to the Telegram channel “112”, the man admitted that in exchange for money he sold information to one of the special services.
“The last task was to get a Russian passport and move,” the prisoner said.
The man claimed that he came to Russia in 2022 “with the aim of killing Zakhar Prilepin, eliminating it”.
“The method of murder is remote detonation with two anti-tank mines. I regret what I did,” he said during interrogation.
The Security Service of Ukraine did not confirm or deny Prilepin’s involvement in the explosion of his car.
murder weapon
Telegram-channel Baza states that the car was blown up with the help of anti-tank mines with a superimposed plastid charge. Permyakov claimed to have prepared all this himself, but investigators doubt his words, writes Baza.
The investigation searched several addresses where Permyakov and possible accomplices could live. In particular, searches were carried out in the Solnechnogorsk district of the Moscow region and the village of Belomestnoye, Belgorod region.
112 reported that the suspect followed the author for several days, after which he buried anti-tank mines on the road to his home. Finally, an Audi Q7 crashed into one of the mines. In response, the Investigative Committee reported that Permyakov placed a remotely activated explosive device on the route of the car.
“He then fled the scene but was detained by law enforcement as he was leaving the forest in another settlement,” the UK said.
“Partridge caught” arouses suspicion
Police officers stopped Permyakov at the exit of the village of Kozlovo, as he aroused suspicion.
“At first, this person told us that he was hunting partridge in the pond in this area. But there was no lake in this region, and there were no partridges,” he said.
– said Dmitry Voevodin, representative of the Semenovsky urban district of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.
According to senior police officer Alexander Sokolov, the detainee had two passports with him: Ukraine and Russia. The person who confessed in his meeting with the police was taken to the police station.
For forensic examinations, swab samples were taken from the suspect’s hands and clothes. The investigation also reveals who else may have been involved in the blowing up of the car. According to Kommersant sources, law enforcement has detained another person who may have been involved in the assassination attempt.
“Short-tempered but not bad”
The suspect’s sister, Irina, told RT about her younger brother. According to him, together with Permyakov he studied at a boarding school in Druzhkovka (Kramatorsk district of the Donetsk region). They have rarely talked lately, and he noted that Permyakov does not have a family of his own.
Even when Alexander was young, he was tried for hooliganism and robbery. At the same time, his sister described him as: “I am quick-tempered, but not bad.”
According to the woman, her brother “supported Donbass” and served in the DPR militia since 2015. Permyakov, who received a Russian passport in 2023, told his relatives that he was working at a construction site in Moscow.
The wealth of Zakhar Prilepin
On May 6, Prilepin fell into drug-induced slumber “to recover faster” after the operation. On May 7, the author was removed from this status. He is conscious and “feels good,” according to RIA Novosti, citing the Prilepin press service.
“In this state, he is in a cheerful mood as can be. feel good. I thanked all my relatives,” said press secretary Elizaveta Kondakova.
This information was confirmed by the governor of the Nizhny Novgorod region, Gleb Nikitin.
REN TV channel reported that the author had a serious concomitant injury, a mine blast wound, bruises to both lungs, multiple bruises and fractures.