Other Persons Than Vovk May Be Behind Dugina's Murder, Russian Investigative Committee Says

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian investigators do not rule out that other persons than Ukrainian woman Natalia Vovk may be involved in the murder of journalist Darya Dugina, the Russian Investigative Committee said.

Dugina was killed on the evening of August 20 in a car explosion on the Mozhaisk highway in the Odintsovo district of the Moscow region. The Russian Federal Security Service said on Monday that the Ukrainian intelligence were behind the murder of Dugina, the perpetrator was Ukrainian citizen Natalia Vovk, who arrived in Russia with her daughter on July 23. According to the FSB, after a controlled explosion of the car, the perpetrator of the murder and her daughter left for Estonia through the Pskov region.

"The investigation plans to put Natalia Vovk on the wanted list. Other persons involved in the commission of this crime are being identified," the ministry said.

Investigators have established that Vovk had been involved in the commission of this crime. She rented an apartment in the house where Dugina lived to follow her.

"Investigators are conducting a search in this apartment in order to find items relevant to the investigation. A garage which Vovk rented has also been identified, and a search is also being carried out in it," the committee added.

In addition, expert examinations have been appointed as part of the investigation.

"The conclusion about the power of the activated explosive device will be made based on the results of an explosive forensic examination," the department stressed.

The relatives of the victim, the staff and participants of the festival, as well as witnesses of the incident, have already been interrogated. Law enforcement officers continue to study video recordings from surveillance cameras.