A large explosion tore into an SUV on a highway 20 km away west of Moscow, instantly killing its driver, who was identified as political commentator Darya Dugina, Russian political analyst and thinker Alexander Dugin's daughter. Dugin the father is an influential veteran political commentator, also known as one of the Kremlin's "ideological masterminds", and an occasional contributor to Al Mayadeen English.

The assassination was carried out at 21:35 Moscow time. Witnesses divulged that the explosion happened in the middle of the road, where debris and metal wreckage scattered in the air right before the car crashed into a fence, according to photos and videos.

According to emergency services, there was only one person inside the car, and it was a female body burned beyond recognition. 

The identity of the victim is yet to be confirmed by authorities - however, multiple Russian media sources and Telegram channels have reported that the victim was Darya Dugina, 30. According to videos circulating social media, her father arrived at the scene just after the explosion, devastated. 

As for the cause of the explosion, preliminary reports suggest that a homemade explosive device may be involved, however, investigators have not yet confirmed it. 

On Saturday evening, Dugin was giving a lecture in Moscow on "Tradition and History" at a traditional family festival in Moscow; Dugina attended the event as a guest. Reports are claiming that Dugin planned to leave the festival with his daughter, but instead took a separate car. Darya took her father's Toyota Land Cruiser Prado.

Darya, in July 2022, was placed on the UK sanctions list. Her father in 2014 and 2015 was sanctioned by the EU, US, and Canada. 

More details are to unfold.

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