Punishment Time: Car Bomb Sends Russia Into Peak Menace Mode

Russian government officials, investigators and state media propagandists are airing out their grand revenge plot over the killing of Darya Dugina, daughter of the notorious Alexander Dugin, to a wide array of the Kremlin’s foes.

Dugina's father is known as a key architect of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and was initially believed to have been the target of Saturday's attack, but the Federal Security Service (the FSB) claimed in an official statement on Monday that Dugina herself was specifically targeted. The FSB accused a Ukrainian citizen of renting an apartment in the building where Dugina lived, following her with intent to kill, detonating the bomb in Dugina’s car and fleeing from Russia to Estonia. State media propagandists immediately started to discuss the retaliation against Russia’s nemesis, Estonia, for its anticipated refusal to cooperate with Russia’s investigation.

State Duma member Adalbi Shkhagoshev told the state media outlet RIA Novosti that the Estonian special services likely participated in what he described as “a terrorist plot” against Dugina. Estonia recently banned Russians with Estonian-issued Schengen visas from entering the country, and called on the EU to ban Russian tourists while the Kremlin is committing genocide in Ukraine. This placed Estonia firmly in Russia’s crosshairs, with multiple Kremlin propagandists strategizing on-air how to retaliate against the country. Dugina’s killing is now being used to drum up an excuse for drastic retaliatory measures, such as the severing of any diplomatic ties and cutting off all energy supplies and any other trade between Russia and Estonia.

In a typical fashion, Russia’s propaganda networks came up with a myriad of theories, attempting to tie multiple enemies to the alleged multinational plot to target Dugina. On Sunday, political analyst Sergei Markov told the Komsomolskaya Pravda that British security services planned Dugina’s assassination, in order to provoke the Kremlin to bomb downtown Kyiv on August 24—Ukraine’s Independence Day. He also claimed that the British intelligence services organized the killing in order to undermine the relations between Russia and Turkey, describing Dugin as an important conduit.

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Petr Akopov, who gained notoriety after his article lauding Russia’s victory over Ukraine was prematurely published by the state news agency RIA Novosti in February, penned another piece for the outlet. Akopov wrote: “Who wanted to kill Dugin? Those whom he openly called “servants of the devil,” that is, the globalist Anglo-Saxon elite.”

During Monday’s broadcast of the state TV show 60 Minutes, military expert Igor Korotchenko said: “The terrorist attack that caused Darya’s death is a joint military operation by the three special services, I will name those countries: Ukraine, Estonia and Great Britain.”

Host of 60 Minutes Evgeny Popov, who is also a member of Russia’s State Duma, said: “Foreign intelligence agencies directed the killing—for example, the British. It’s not a coincidence that The Daily Mail released a mocking, simply cannibalistic article.”

Co-host Olga Skabeeva likewise accused the West along with Ukraine: “Ukrainians—along with their handlers—are getting ready for nuclear terror, up to the war with Russia. As far as the political terror, Ukraine already started that in the Moscow Oblast... Ukrainian and Western intelligence services wanted to terrorize the Russian people, but they failed.”

The theme of the impending full-fledged war with NATO reverberated across the Kremlin-controlled networks, with Dugina’s killing being used to fuel public support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—framing it as an existential conflict with the West. During the latest broadcast of Sunday Evening With Vladimir Solovyov, host Vladimir Solovyov said: “In order to destroy Russia, [the West] is capable of anything... For them, any target is legitimate. Their ultimate goal is the destruction of Russia.”

With efforts to recruit volunteers within Russia falling short, to the point that even prisoners are reluctant to sign up for the fight, Dugina’s killing is now being used to mobilize society. Alexander Dugin’s message, urging Russia to achieve a complete victory to avenge his daughter’s death, was broadcast by Russian state television. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statement, describing Dugina as an exemplary Russian patriot, was also widely cited.

During his Sunday’s show, Solovyov, who often criticizes the lack of pro-war mobilization in certain segments of Russian society, added that the time for a relaxed approach has passed: “I think we’re behaving a bit strangely. Do we have any doubt whatsoever that at some point, NATO will start a direct military confrontation against us?” He raged, recounting discussions with members of Russia’s defense industry, lagging in its attempts to ramp up the production of all types of weaponry. Solovyov angrily exclaimed: “Do what you’re told or shoot yourself!”

Andrey Gurulyov, State Duma deputy, former deputy commander of Russia's southern military district, concurred: “We’re at war with the United States and the UK... If the British soldiers end up on the territory of Ukraine, this war won’t be taking place in Ukraine. It will be taking place in all spheres: in space, on air, at sea, on land—including the British territory and the territory of Russia. Russia!”

Gurulyov bemoaned the lack of preparedness in the country and demanded that immediate steps be taken to fortify civil defense measures, including the system of bomb shelters. He predicted: “Sooner or later, NATO forces will pop up here or there. Let’s start getting ready for it today, to preserve our population and our industry.” He called upon the Kremlin to modify Russia’s nuclear doctrine to state: “Nuclear weapons could be used as needed” and proclaimed: “The time of peace has come to an end. It’s over.”

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