Russian
opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was gunned down in a 'politically
motivated' attack in front of his 23-year-old Ukrainian model
girlfriend, according to reports.
The
former deputy Prime Minister, 55, and fierce critic of Vladimir
Putin was 'under surveillance' by his killers before he was shot in the
shadow of the Kremlin the day before an anti-Putin protest.
He
had been out for dinner with Anna Duritskaya, 23, at a restaurant
inside GUM, a department store in Moscow's Red Square in the hours
before his death, and the pair then went for a walk.
The
married father-of-four was shot four times by assailants in a white car
as the couple walked across a bridge over the Moskva River at midnight
on Friday but the 23-year-old model was unhurt.
'The murderers knew Nemtsov's route, he was spied on,' said a police source.
He
had been working on a report presenting evidence he believed proved
Russia's direct involvement in the separatist rebellion that erupted in
eastern Ukraine last year.
Just
hours before his death, Nemtsov told Ekho Moskvy radio that Putin had
pushed Russia into an economic crisis through his 'mad, aggressive and
deadly policy of war against Ukraine.'
Leading Russian opposition politician
Boris Nemtsov was shot dead on a bridge in central Moscow at just after
midnight on Friday, pictured (centre) is a body bag with Saint Basil's
Cathedral in the background
Nemtsov,
55, (right) had been out for dinner with his Ukranian model
girlfriend Anna Duritskaya, 23, (left) in the hours before his death.
The couple had been dating for several years, according to reports
The father-of-four was shot four times by assailants in a white car as he walked across a bridge over the Moskva River
Hundreds of mourners have gathered
today at the site where the Russian opposition leader was killed and a
protest march in memory of the politician is expected to take place
later today
A distressed woman was seen crying at the site where the popular politician was assassinated
President
Putin has condemned the murder and assumed 'personal control' of the
investigation into the killing, said his spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Mr Peskov, said the shooting could also be a 'provocation' as the opposition has planned a big protest in Moscow on Sunday.
The
Russian leader has asked the heads of Russia's Investigative
Committee, Interior Ministry and Federal Security Service to
investigative and put the case under their personal supervision.
David Cameron has said he is 'shocked and sickened by the callous murder' and called for a transparent investigation.
Medics carry the body of Nemtsov. The
politician was highly critical of the government's inefficiency, rampant
corruption and the Kremlin's policy on Ukraine, which has strained
Russia-West ties to a degree unseen since Cold War times
An unidentified assassin shot Mr
Nemtsov (above, in 2010 at an anti-Kremlin march) four times while he
was walking with a woman near the Kremlin
A man mourns as he lays flowers at the site of murder of Boris Nemtsov in central Moscow
The married father-of-four was shot
four times by assailants in a white car as the couple walked across a
bridge over the Moskva River
Russian opposition leaders Ilya Yashin
(left) and Ksenia Sobchak (right), soon after the death of Nemtsov.
Yashin told Ekho Moskvy radio that he last spoke with Nemtsov two days
before the killing
He
said: 'Boris Nemtsov was a stark opposition leader who criticised the
most important state officials in our country, including President
Vladimir Putin.
'As
we have seen, such criticism in Russia is dangerous for one's life. He
got lots of threats, mostly via social networks, anonymously.
'I
have no doubt this was a political killing. The only threat to his life
came from his political activity. He had no foes other than political
ones.'
Nemtsov's
death came one year after the Russian annexation of Crimea in a special
operation by Russian special forces. The politician was a strong and
outspoken critic of Putin's policy on Ukraine.
'SHOT 4 TIMES, ONCE FOR EACH CHILD HE LEAVES'
Chairman
of the Human Rights Foundation and former chess champion Garry Kasparov
last night tweeted: 'Devastated to hear of the brutal murder of my
long-time opposition colleague Boris Nemtsov. Shot 4 times, once for
each child he leaves.
'Boris's
quality no longer fit Putin's Russia. He always believed Russia could
change from inside without violence; after 2012, I disagreed.
'When
we argued, Boris would tell me I was too hasty, that in Russia you had
to live a long time to see change. Now he'll never see it. RIP.'
Journalist
Anna Politkovskaya, also a critic of Putin, was shot dead in a lift in
October 2006, and former KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko is thought to have
been poisoned by Russians in London and died a month later.
Some
also believe that Boris Berezovsky, the Russian oligarch and another
critic of Putin, may have been murdered after he was found hanged in the
bathroom of his Ascot home in March 2013.
Just
hours earlier, Putin had declared 27 February a new 'professional
holiday' for special operation soldiers in his armed forces and secret
services.
Political
analyst Sergey Parkhomenko alluding to this new holiday said that
Nemtsov's killing was carefully planned and a 'present' for someone.
'There is a war going on here. If someone thinks otherwise... we're now living in a country that is fully-fledged in a war.'
'Nemtsov's murder is a terrible tragedy for Russia,' said ex-finance minister Alexei Kudrin, a Putin ally.
Britain has said it will follow closely investigations into the killing.
Prime
Minister, David Cameron, said: 'I am shocked and sickened by the
callous murder of Boris Nemtsov as he walked in the heart Moscow last
night.
'This despicable act must be fully, rapidly and transparently investigated, and those responsible brought to justice.
'Boris
Nemtsov was a man of courage and conviction. His life was dedicated to
speaking up tirelessly for the Russian people, to demanding their right
to democracy and liberty under the rule of law, and to an end to
corruption.
'He
did so without fear, and never gave in to intimidation. He was greatly
admired in Britain, not least by his friend Lady Thatcher, who visited
him in Russia and who would have been appalled by today's news. The
courage of Nemtsov's life contrasts with the utter cowardice of his
murder.
'I
extend my condolences to Boris Nemtsov's family and friends. The
Russian people have been deprived of a champion of their rights. Boris
Nemtsov is dead. But the values he stood for will never die.'
US
President Barack Obama has also condemned the 'brutal murder', the
White House National Security Council said tonight on Twitter.
The
White House called on the Russian government to conduct a 'prompt,
impartial and transparent investigation' and to 'ensure those
responsible are brought to justice.'
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A man cries at the spot, where Russian
opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was shot dead, near Saint-Basil's
Cathedral, in the centre of Moscow
+32
Hundreds of mourners have gathered to lay flowers and light candles at the spot Nemtsov was shot dead
+32
People light candles and lay flowers at the site where Nemtsov was shot while walking across a bridge over the Moskva River
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A woman mourns for the loss of the former deputy prime minister and vocal critic of Vladimir Putin
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Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev (centre) is shown the place where Nemtsov was killed in central Moscow
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Police cars blocked the street where Nemtsov was shot, and an ambulance was also nearby
Obama said he met Nemtsov in Moscow in 2009 when the Russian was willing to 'share his candid views with me'.
'We
offer our sincere condolences to his family and to the Russian people,
who have lost one of the most dedicated and eloquent defenders of their
rights,' he said.
Police cars blocked the street where Nemtsov was shot, and an ambulance was also nearby.
'Nemtsov B.E. died at 2340 hours as a result of four shots in the back,' an Interior Ministry spokeswoman said.
Nemtsov,
55, first gained an international profile after being spotted by former
British premier Margaret Thatcher as a future leader of Russia, and she
praised his market reforms after visiting Nizhny Novgorod where as
governor in the early 1990s he led spearheaded reforms.
Later
he rose to become deputy prime minister under Boris Yeltsin, but he was
always opposed as too Western and liberal by hardliners.
He
had angered the government two years ago when he charged that billions
of dollars had been stolen from funds designated for the 2014 Winter
Olympics in Sochi, his home town.
He blamed 'Putin's friends' for the alleged embezzlement, which he described as 'a real threat to Russia's national security.'
Putin's former premier Mikhail Kasyanov, now an opposition leader, said: 'The comments are very easy: the bastards.
'They killed my friend in Moscow city centre, near the Kremlin wall.'
+32
Nemtsov had publicly expressed
concerns for his life earlier this month and was outspoken in his
opposition to Putin, pictured at a media rally in Moscow in 2012
+32
A man cries at the spot, where Russian
opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was shot dead, near Saint-Basil's
Cathedral, in the centre of Moscow
+32
Hundreds of mourners have gathered to lay flowers and light candles at the spot Nemtsov was shot dead
+32
People light candles and lay flowers at the site where Nemtsov was shot while walking across a bridge over the Moskva River
+32
A woman mourns for the loss of the former deputy prime minister and vocal critic of Vladimir Putin
+32
Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev (centre) is shown the place where Nemtsov was killed in central Moscow
+32
Police cars blocked the street where Nemtsov was shot, and an ambulance was also nearby
Obama said he met Nemtsov in Moscow in 2009 when the Russian was willing to 'share his candid views with me'.
'We
offer our sincere condolences to his family and to the Russian people,
who have lost one of the most dedicated and eloquent defenders of their
rights,' he said.
Police cars blocked the street where Nemtsov was shot, and an ambulance was also nearby.
'Nemtsov B.E. died at 2340 hours as a result of four shots in the back,' an Interior Ministry spokeswoman said.
Nemtsov,
55, first gained an international profile after being spotted by former
British premier Margaret Thatcher as a future leader of Russia, and she
praised his market reforms after visiting Nizhny Novgorod where as
governor in the early 1990s he led spearheaded reforms.
Later
he rose to become deputy prime minister under Boris Yeltsin, but he was
always opposed as too Western and liberal by hardliners.
He
had angered the government two years ago when he charged that billions
of dollars had been stolen from funds designated for the 2014 Winter
Olympics in Sochi, his home town.
He blamed 'Putin's friends' for the alleged embezzlement, which he described as 'a real threat to Russia's national security.'
Putin's former premier Mikhail Kasyanov, now an opposition leader, said: 'The comments are very easy: the bastards.
'They killed my friend in Moscow city centre, near the Kremlin wall.'
+32
Nemtsov had publicly expressed
concerns for his life earlier this month and was outspoken in his
opposition to Putin, pictured at a media rally in Moscow in 2012
