Russia launches murder investigation after car bomb kills daughter of key Putin ally

The daughter of the Russian ultra-nationalist often referred to as “Putin’s brain” was killed Saturday after her car exploded in a possible contract killing, the country’s main investigative body said in a statement.

Daria Dugina “died on the spot” after the Toyota Land Cruiser she was driving exploded in Bolshye Vyazemy, a small village to the southeast of Moscow, Russia’s Investigative Committee said in a statement posted to its Telegram channel.

“The investigation believes that the crime was planned in advance and is of a contract nature,” the statement said, adding that investigators had “established that the explosive device was placed under the bottom of the car on the driver’s side.”