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Ukraine: Targeted killings in the conflict with Russia

Kiev claims or is accused of a series of targeted killings targeting prominent figures in Russian propaganda and the armed forces. Among the victims are philosophers, bloggers and senior military officers

Since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, Kiev has claimed or been accused of a series of targeted assassinations, many of which have targeted key Russian propaganda figures or members of the armed forces. These include the murder of philosopher Darya Dugina, military blogger Vladlen Tatarski (real name Maksim Fomin) and more recently General Igor Kirillov.

Darya Dugina, daughter of the ultranationalist ideologue Aleksandr Dugin, was killed in an explosive attack in Moscow in August 2022. Dugina, following in her father’s footsteps, had taken a leading role in ideological support for the war in Ukraine, and her murder was seen as a targeted message to the nationalist circle close to the Kremlin.

Vladlen Tatarski, a well-known supporter of the Russian invasion, was killed in April 2023 in St. Petersburg by a bomb hidden in a statuette. Tatarski had participated in Kremlin events and was an influential voice in pro-Putin propaganda, often promoting war and justifying violent actions against Ukraine.

Zakhar Prilepin, a writer and pro-Russian fighter, was seriously injured in an assassination attempt in May 2023. Prilepin, a veteran of the wars in Chechnya and supporter of the Donbass independence fighters, had resumed fighting after the Russian invasion, becoming a symbol of armed nationalism.

Finally, the assassination of General Igor Kirillov marks a new chapter in these targeted operations. Commander of the RKhBZ special forces, responsible for fighting in conditions of nuclear, biological and chemical contamination, Kirillov was a key figure in Kremlin propaganda. Accused of disinformation about Bashar al-Assad’s use of chemical weapons in Syria and biological plots linked to Ukraine, he was killed in an attack claimed by Ukraine, a sign of how Kiev is raising its game by targeting high-profile military figures linked to the Russian propaganda machine.

These targeted killings represent a key element of the unconventional warfare taking place on Russian territory, with Kiev demonstrating that it can target strategic figures beyond the battlefield, destabilising Moscow’s power apparatus.

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