Darya Dugina facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Darya Dugina
Дарья Дугина
Dugina in 2022
Born	Darya Aleksandrovna Dugina (1992-12-15)15 December 1992 Moscow, Russia
Died	20 August 2022(2022-08-20) (aged 29) Bolshiye Vyazyomy, Odintsovsky District, Moscow Oblast, Russia
Cause of death	Car bombing
Nationality	Russian
Other names	Daria Platonova
Alma mater	Moscow State University
Occupation	Activist journalist Political scientist
Parents	Aleksandr Dugin (father) Natalya Melentyeva (mother)
Awards	Order of Courage (posthumous)

Darya Aleksandrovna Dugina (Russian: Да́рья Алекса́ндровна Ду́гина; born December 15, 1992 – died August 20, 2022) was a Russian journalist, political scientist, and activist. She was also known by her pen name, Daria Platonova. Her father, Aleksandr Dugin, was a political philosopher who supported Vladimir Putin. Darya Dugina also supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

She died in August 2022 when her car exploded near Moscow.

About Darya Dugina

Her Early Life and Studies

Darya Dugina was born in Moscow, Russia, on December 15, 1992. Her parents were Aleksandr Dugin and Natalya Melentyeva. While studying at Moscow State University, she spent time at Bordeaux Montaigne University. There, she focused on ancient Greek philosophy. Her university degree looked at the political ideas of a philosophy called Neo-Platonism.

Her Work and Beliefs

After finishing university, Darya Dugina became a journalist. She wrote for news outlets that were controlled by the Russian government, like RT and Tsargrad. She used the name Daria Platonova for her articles. She also worked as a political commentator for the International Eurasian Movement.

The United States Department of the Treasury stated that she was the main editor of a website called United World International. This website was said to be owned by Yevgeny Prigozhin, who was close to President Putin. Prigozhin also controlled a group called the Wagner Group. Darya Dugina also worked as a spokesperson for her father.

Dugina strongly supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine. She claimed that reports of harm to Ukrainian civilians by the Russian army were not true. She believed the conflict was a clash between different ways of seeing the world. In June 2022, she visited areas in Ukraine that were under Russian control, like Donetsk and Mariupol.

She visited the Azovstal iron and steel works in Mariupol. There, she worked with British journalist Graham Phillips, who also worked for Russian state media. In July 2022, the British government placed sanctions on her. They said she often spread false information about Ukraine and the Russian invasion. Dugina replied that she was just a journalist and should not have been sanctioned.

Her Death

Darya Dugina died on August 20, 2022. Her car exploded on a highway outside Moscow around 9:45 PM. She was driving home from a family art festival called "Tradition."

The festival was held near a place called Bolshiye Vyazyomy. Investigators said an explosive device was placed under her car. It is not clear if she was the main target. Her father was supposed to be with her but changed cars at the last minute. Some believe he was the target, or perhaps both of them were.

Claims of Responsibility

Ilya Ponomarev in a 2021 video

Ilya Ponomarev, a former Russian politician living in Ukraine, said a Russian group was responsible. This group, which was not known before, calls itself the National Republican Army (NRA). Ponomarev claimed the NRA is a secret group working in Russia. They want to remove Putin from power.

Ponomarev said his contacts in the group told him to expect "something big." After the news of the explosion, he said he received proof that the group was responsible. He also shared a statement from the group.

However, many news organizations could not confirm if the National Republican Army really existed or if they were truly responsible. Some experts were doubtful about Ponomarev's claims.

The Investigation by Russian Authorities

On August 22, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) stated that Ukrainian special services were behind the killing. They said their main suspect was a Ukrainian woman who later went to Estonia. The FSB claimed this woman rented an apartment in the same building as Dugina. They also said she was at the same festival Dugina attended.

The FSB released videos that they said showed the suspect. They claimed she used different license plates on her car to cross borders. Later, the FSB also named a Ukrainian man as an accomplice. They said he helped the main suspect with false documents and putting the bomb together.

The FSB claimed the main suspect followed Dugina's car and set off the bomb remotely. However, it has been difficult to check these claims independently. Russia has made it illegal to disagree with the official story about the killing and the war.

In October 2023, The Washington Post reported that the SBU had carried out several attacks in Russia. This included the car bomb that killed Darya Dugina. Ukraine had previously denied being involved.