Russia blames Ukraine for murder of Putin ally's daughter

KIEV: Russia has blamed Ukraine for the murder of political scientist Darya Dugina, the daughter of a major ally of President Vladimir Putin, the domestic intelligence agency FSB says.

"The crime was prepared and committed by the Ukrainian secret services," the FSB said on Monday, according to the Interfax agency.

The FSB's claim could not be verified, and others have said a Russian partisan movement was behind the killing, reports dpa news agency.

Kiev had previously denied having anything to do with Dugina's killing over the weekend.

Dugina was the daughter of Putin confidante Alexander Dugin, an author and philosopher who is thought to be a source of ideas for the country's attack on Ukraine.

The 29-year-old right-wing political activist and journalist was also considered a fervent supporter of Russia's war against Ukraine. She was killed in a car bombing on August 20.

In a video published on YouTube late Sunday, former Russian politician Ilya Ponomarev, who is now living in Ukraine, said that the attack "opens a new page of Russian resistance against Putinism. A new page, but it won't be the last".

Ponomarev said that the National Republican Army movement is responsible for the attack.