Probe Into Murder of Nemtsov Has Paramount Importance - Kremlin

Kremlin spokesperson Peskov underscored that investigation of the politician's murder will be conducted to bring results as soon as possible.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The investigation into the murder of Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov is of paramount importance and requires patience, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Saturday.

According to the Russian Interior Ministry, Nemtsov was killed at 11:40 p.m. Moscow time on Friday (20:40 GMT), when several shots were fired at him from a car.

"Clearly, it is of paramount importance for our investigators to bring results on this case as soon as possible. There is no need to interfere, we must be patient," Peskov told the Dozhd television.

Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed the heads of the Investigative Committee, the Interior Ministry and the Federal Security Service to create an investigation team and to keep it on the personal control, Peskov added.

“The killing is heinous, and as the president said earlier, it has all the signs of a contract killing,” he said.

Peskov stressed the importance of finding the organizers and perpetrators of the crime.

Russian authorities will do everything to solve Nemtsov’s murder and ensure the perpetrators are punished, Valentina Matvienko, speaker of the Russian parliament’s upper house, said on Saturday.

Nemtsov was killed one day ahead of the Vesna (“Spring”) opposition rally planned to be held in Moscow on March 1.

Late on Friday, Putin said that the murder has all the signs of a contract murder and is extremely provocative.