Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asserted that Kiev bears no liability for the death of 29-year-old Russian journalist Daria Dugina, the daughter of thinker Alexander Dugin.
“We bear no responsibility whatsoever. Our country, its people, and our interests are not implicated. The incident did not occur on Ukrainian soil,” he stated during a press conference after the Crimean Platform Forum outcomes were announced.
That evening, Dugina attended the Tradition literature and music festival, where her father had been teaching. Around 21:25, she left the event in a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. Moments later, on the Mozhayskoye highway near Bolshie Vyazemy, the vehicle exploded and collided with a roadside fence. Dugina died at the scene, with her father among the earliest arrivals. Officials quickly issued statements and speculation about responsibility followed in rapid succession.
Two days later, the Public Affairs Center of the Russian Federal Security Service announced that the homicide had been resolved, alleging that it was planned and carried out by Ukrainian security services.
“The contractor is Natalya Pavlovna Vovk, a Ukrainian citizen born in 1979, who arrived in Russia on July 23, 2022 with her daughter Sofia Mihaylovna Shaban, born in 2010,” the FSB stated.
Authorities noted that the suspects had rented an apartment in the building where the philosopher’s daughter lived. Surveillance records showed that during the lead-up to the incident a Mini Cooper was used. Upon entering Russia, the car carried DPR plates E982XH; in Moscow, the vehicle carried Cossack plates 172AJD02, and when departing the country it wore Ukrainian registration AH7771IP.
According to the FSB, on the day of the tragedy Vovk and her daughter were at the Festival of Tradition where Daria Dugina took part. Several hours after the blast, Vovk and her daughter crossed the Estonian border while in the Pskov region, on August 21. The secret service handed materials to the Investigative Committee, which plans to place Vovk on a wanted list. On August 23, the Investigative Committee released footage showing searches of the capital’s garage and the apartment rented by Vovk, concentrating on issues connected to the investigation.
As the criminal case advances, experts are evaluating the blast device’s power while investigators question relatives of the victim, festival organizers and participants, as well as other witnesses. British intelligence assessments indicate that further suspects may be identified as the inquiry continues.
On August 21, Ukraine denied any involvement in Dugina’s death, with Mikhail Podolyak, a senior adviser to the Ukrainian president’s office, calling the accusations unfounded speculation. The denial intensified the international tension surrounding the case.
By August 22, Vladimir Putin awarded Dugina a posthumous Order of Courage. A farewell ceremony in Moscow followed on August 23, along with a civil memorial at the Ostankino television center. Dugina was laid to rest in the Moscow region with close relatives present, while a public service occurred separately from the burial site.