BBC: Russia opposition politician Boris Nemtsov shot dead
A leading Russian opposition politician, former Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov, has been shot dead in Moscow, Russian officials say.
An unidentified attacker in a car shot Mr Nemtsov four times in the back as he crossed a bridge in view of the Kremlin, police say.
He died hours after appealing for support for a march on Sunday in Moscow against the war in Ukraine.
WNU Editor: Many in the Western press are calling him the Russian opposition leader .... this is incorrect .... Gennady Zyuganov head of the Communist Party came in second in the last Presidential election , and he is regarded by many to be the "unofficial" leader of the opposition. But it is true that Boris Nemtsov was a prominent and vocal Putin critic, and while he may not have held an elected position for years, his supporters and the attention that the Russian media gave him over the years did succeed in putting him in the spotlight. As to who killed him .... I do not know. It was my cousin in Moscow who called to tell me that he was assassinated .... and when I heard the news I said to myself that the authorities who are going to investigate his murder are going to find that they have a long list of possible suspects. Over the years he made a lot of people angry ... especially his exposes on corruption .... but who knows .... it could have been a personal matter that got him killed. I will admit that later I started to speculate that maybe a pro-Russian separatist wanted to silence him because of his opposition to Russia' participation in the Ukraine war, and then a part of me was wondering if this was maybe a false-flag operation instituted by the someone in Kiev who wanted to embarrass Putin and to put the blame on the separatists. Each and everyone of these "theories" have their supporters and critics .... and I am sure that this debate is going to go on for the next weeks. As to the theory that Putin or someone in his inner circle ordered the hit .... I really doubt that. You would only create a martyr, and on top of that Boris Nemtsov was in no position to be a threat to Putin .... he was a minor politician who suffered numerous electoral defeats since the 1990s. But it is also true that Boris Nemtsov did expose some of the corruption that has flourished under Putin .... and because of that he may have made some enemies who got their revenge today.
But there is one thing about this case that is bothering me .... Boris Nemtsov was murdered within sight of St. Basil's Cathedral and the Kremlin .... this is within the security perimeter of the Kremlin. Security within Moscow is incredibly intense .... but more so within sight of the Kremlin.You just do not kill somebody and be able to drive away .... but on the possibility that this is exactly what happened .... this is then a huge security failure .... or something very deliberate.
On a personal note .... Boris Nemtsov was murdered at 11:30 PM walking with a female friend (Ukrainian model Anna Duritskaya, 23) crossing the Bolshoy Moskvoretsky bridge ... I have done that same walk many times in the past ... and yes ... with a female friend. Across the bridge there are a number of late night cafes and bars .... I can easily see them walking over there to end the night.
More News On The Murder Of Boris Nemtsov
Russian opposition leader Nemtsov shot dead in Moscow -- Reuters
Boris Nemtsov, outspoken Putin critic, shot dead in Moscow -- CNN
Russian Opposition Member Boris Nemtsov Was Killed in Moscow -- Bloomberg
'Nemtsov was an outspoken critic of Russia's involvement in Ukraine' -- Deutsche Welle
Boris Nemtsov, leading Putin critic, shot and killed in Moscow -- FOX News
Murdered Putin critic Boris Nemtsov did not pose any threat: Kremlin -- IBtimes
Several Cars Checked After Drive-By Murder of Boris Nemtsov - Source -- Sputnik
Funeral March to Replace Moscow Opposition Rally After Nemtsov Murder -- Sputnik
Nemtsov was no threat to Russian govt - presidential spokesperson -- RT
Boris Nemtsov: Who was the Russian opposition leader? -- ABC News (Australia)
Profile: Boris Nemtsov -- BBC
Russia robbed of a brave, authentic and distinctive voice -- Luke Harding, The Guardian
Boris Nemtsov Exposed Putin's Corruption—And Paid With His Life -- Michael Weiss, Daily Beast
Update: This is a good summary .... Who is Mr. Nemtsov and Why He Was Killed (Sputnik).
12 comments:
Is that the girlfriend who just went to Switzerland for medical reasons?
Doing it inside security, that security, is really something to ponder. Just off the top of my head, if his female companion didn't do it, then who, why, and why there? Is he really a big enough threat to Putin to do him there? Is this a message killing and if so, from whom to whom?
The woman is somehow the key to this. What has happened to her? Who is she? What is her and Nemtsov's history.
WNU, history is littered with seemingly trivial events that upon hindsight were the start of big things to come. I have absolutely no evidence, but my antennas were brought erect by this murder.
He was with Ukrainian model Anna Duritskaya, 23 .... and yes ... she is incredibly young and good looking. Guys who are 55 do not go out with a young and beautiful 23 year old model at midnight to chit chat .... not in that part of Moscow. Across the bridge there are a number of really nice bars where people can meet intimately and in private .... I have no proof but my gut is telling me they were going there.
This "hit" was clearly planned and executed .... and in a place where the security perimeter equals the security perimeter of the White House and the U.S. Congress. There is a lot to this story that is not known, and the fact that Putin is now officially involved tells me volumes on how this murder has shaken him and his government.
Read the update. He was shot in the back from a moving car. Sounds to me, if true, the girl was the marker at the least.
How do cars enter and exit this security zone?
There is a lot of traffic in the area .... but at midnight that part of Moscow is dead. When I am in Moscow I like to take late night walks in that area, and in my more younger days if Red Square was not closed off I would walk across the Square to that bridge where Nemtsov was killed and then to the clubs and restaurants on the other side ... usually till till 1:00 in the morning where I would then walk back home or take a taxi. At the base of this bridge there is a parking zone .... but only for official cars. A part of me is wondering if Nemtsov parked his car there, and that he then started his walk across the bridge with his companion to a club. Speculation on my part .... but I would not be surprised if he had a permit to park there. There are cameras everywhere, and I do know that if a major security incident was to occur, the place would be locked down right away. All traffic would be stopped, and everyone would be screened. But this did not happen in this case because where Nemtsov was murdered is that one place (and only palce) where a getaway car can speed away in multiple directions .... making it impossible to be stopped. The girl was involved .... the more that I think about it .... the more that I am becoming convinced that she was unwittingly used ... or she was part of the plan. That car knew exactly when they were going to walk across that bridge, so that they could drive across it without arousing any suspicion on going slow or fast .... where they then did the assassination and could sped away wherever they wanted to.
Is there somewhere near the car could have parked without being observed until it made it's move, or must vehicle in that area must keep moving to keep from being questioned? Sorry to ask so many questions. If it couldn't park and wait with a line of sight to the bridge then there had to be a third party spotter somewhere. If there was a spotter then there had to be wireless communication.
The only place where such a car could have stopped is in or near that parking lot that I had mentioned. Otherwise .... the traffic is always flowing. Knowing the location of the assassination and how it was done .... no question in my mind .... this was planned and there were a few people involved ... and it appears that they also knew the soft spots in the security perimeter.
Well, after this comment I have think about this for awhile.
First: the odds are it was political and transnational.
Second: I doubt Putin did it (no I don't he's suddenly become an angel)the downside is much greater than what he could gain.
Third: This is a stupid move. If I were Putin I would immediately start to hang this on Kiev and the US, not overtly, but a creative whisper campaign would work nicely.
Fourth: The girl is involved, but mostly "unwittingly". If she knew much more they would killed her too. I would watch for news about her though.
Fifth: Mr. Nemtsov seems to have had a lot of people with a lot of reasons to kill him, but a private killing there, no.
Back to the third item, if done right this a golden propaganda opportunity for Putin and he's demonstrated he has the skills to exploit it.
Of course there is always the possibility Putin's behind it, but as I said what could he gain versus what he could lose if it became public that he was behind it.
Last, if I'm right, it also shows Putin has a mole, at least mid level in his security personnel in central Moscow. That will have to be dealt with.
To conclude; it's a cautionary tale for your late night peregrinations in Moscow without your GF.
Ps. As I've said before, you keep that nasty Celsius business to yourself, it's not allowed down in Texas.
James, what you just said I could not say it any better.
On a side note my GF just inquired on what exactly do I do on my long walks in Moscow .... and what exactly happens on the other side of that bridge from the Kremlin.
Groan .... this is going to cost me.
Its off to the slopes right now .... and it is only -14C outside. :)
One more question for you when you get time. What is that area to the east of the north end of the bridge, it looks a little like a construction site but not really. To answer your GF, you are going to the late night services at St. Basil's, they're wonderful! You'd better hope they have some.
That is a good question James because I have no idea .... and it is one of the things that I spotted when looking at the pictures and videos. There are limits to how tall a building can be built within the vicinity of the Kremlin, but according to the size of those cranes, it looks like those rules are about to be violated.
The imagery I've looked at is dated. I bet though that's where the spotter was and a construction site is a good place to hide a vehicle until needed. Side note, I'm not sure about Russia, but you can usually figure around 12' per story on a commercial/institutional bldg. As for cranes, if it's an overhead variety (plumb vertical tower crossed at 90dgs by it's mast) it'll generally be 20' taller than the main concrete structure.
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