Russia opposition politician Boris Nemtsov shot dead - BBC News BBC News Russia opposition politician Boris Nemtsov shot dead 28 February 2015 Close share panel Image copyright AP Image caption Mr Nemtsov was shot on a bridge within sight of St Basil's Cathedral and the Kremlin A leading Russian opposition politician, former Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov, has been shot dead in Moscow, Russian officials say. An unidentified attacker in a car shot Mr Nemtsov four times in the back as he crossed a bridge in view of the Kremlin, police say. He died hours after appealing for support for a march on Sunday in Moscow against the war in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has condemned the murder, the Kremlin says. President Putin has assumed "personal control" of the investigation into the killing, said his spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Investigators said the murder could have been "a provocation aimed at destabilising the country". The investigative committee said in a statement that several motives for the killing were being considered including "Islamic extremism". US President Barack Obama condemned the "brutal murder" and called on the Russian government to conduct a "prompt, impartial and transparent investigation".

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko described Mr Nemtsov as a "bridge between Ukraine and Russia". "The murderers' shot has destroyed it. I think it is not by accident," he said in a statement published on his administration's Facebook page. Image copyright AFP Image caption Boris Nemtsov was one of Russia's leading economic reformers in the 1990s (file photo from 2009) In a recent interview, Mr Nemtsov had said he feared Mr Putin would have him killed because of his opposition to the war in Ukraine. Mr Nemtsov, 55, served as first deputy prime minister under President Boris Yeltsin in the 1990s. He had earned a reputation as an economic reformer while governor of one of Russia's biggest cities, Nizhny Novgorod. Falling out of favour with Yeltsin's successor, Mr Putin, he became an outspoken opposition politician. Analysis: Sarah Rainsford, BBC Moscow correspondent A lawyer for Mr Nemtsov reported that he had received death threats over social media in recent months; but for now there's only speculation as to why he was targeted.

He openly opposed Moscow's role in the crisis in Ukraine - and the annexation by Russia of Crimea. He had been planning a rare public protest on Sunday against both things - and a growing economic crisis in this country. Since his death, social media has been flooded with tributes to a man remembered by friends as decent, honest and a democrat. He had been pushed to the political margins in Vladimir Putin's Russia, but he was still prominent enough for someone to want to kill him. Russian and world reaction Mr Nemtsov was shot at around 23:40 (20:40 GMT) on Friday while crossing Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge accompanied by a woman, Russia's interior ministry said. He was shot with a pistol from a white car which fled the scene, a police source told Russia's Interfax news agency. According to Russian-language news website Meduza, "several people" got out of a car and shot him. One of the politician's colleagues in his RPR-Parnassus party, Ilya Yashin, confirmed Mr Nemtsov's death.

"Unfortunately I can see the corpse of Boris Nemtsov in front of me now," he was quoted as saying by Russia's lenta.ru news website. Flowers were left at the site of the shooting through the night.

Image copyright AFP Image caption People have been coming to the scene of the murder since Saturday evening to leave flowers Image copyright AP Image caption Russian opposition leaders Ilya Yashin, left, and Ksenia Sobchak react to news of the death of Mr Nemtsov Image copyright AP Image caption Mr Nemtsov feared his vocal opposition to President Putin's policies on Ukraine could get him killed Violent deaths of Putin opponents April 2003 - Liberal politician Sergey Yushenkov assassinated near his Moscow home July 2003 - Investigative journalist Yuri Shchekochikhin died after 16-day mysterious illness July 2004 - Forbes magazine Russian editor Paul Klebnikov shot from moving car on Moscow street, died later in hospital October 2006 - Investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya shot dead outside her Moscow apartment November 2006 - Former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko died nearly three weeks after drinking tea laced with polonium in London hotel March 2013 - Boris Berezovsky, former Kremlin power broker turned Putin critic, found dead in his UK home 'Putin's aggression' In his last tweet , Mr Nemtsov sent out an appeal for Russia's divided

 opposition to unite at an anti-war march he was planning for Sunday.

"If you support stopping Russia's war with Ukraine, if you support stopping Putin's aggression, come to the Spring March in Maryino on 1 March," he wrote. Speaking earlier this month to Russia's Sobesednik news website, he had spoken of his fears for his own life. "I'm afraid Putin will kill me," he said in the article (in Russian) on 10 February. "I believe that he was the one who unleashed the war in the Ukraine," he added. "I couldn't dislike him more." Mr Putin has been widely accused of fomenting the bloody rebellion in east Ukraine - an accusation he denies. Fighting there followed Russia's annexation of Crimea in March last year. Almost 5,800 people have died and at least 1.25 million have fled their homes, according to the UN. The Ukrainian government, Western leaders and Nato say there is clear evidence that Russia is helping the rebels with heavy weapons and soldiers. Independent experts echo that accusation while Moscow denies it, insisting that any Russians serving with the rebels are "volunteers".

Boris Nemtsov, critic of Putin, shot dead - CNN.com MUST WATCH Nemtsov in 2014: Power today is like 19 century Russia 02:24 In a restaurant interview with CNN's Anthony Bourdain last year he lamented the situation for business owners. "This is a country of corruption. And if you have business, you are in a very unsafe situation. Everybody can press you and destroy your business. That's it," Nemtsov said. In the same interview, he did offer a bit of optimism. "This is my country. The Russian people are in bit of trouble. Russian court doesn't work. Russian education decline every year. I believe that Russia has a chance to be free. Has a chance. It's difficult, but we must do it," he said. Nemtsov was also a vocal critic of the 2014 Winter Olympics held in Sochi. He published a report in 2013 describing the Sochi games as one of the most "outrageous swindles" in recent Russian history. He claimed that up to 60% of the final cost -- or $30 billion -- had been embezzled.

World chess champion-turned opposition activist Garry Kasparov tweeted extensively about Nemtsov's death. "When we argued, Boris would tell me I was too hasty, that in Russia you had to live a long time to see change. Now he'll never see it. RIP," he wrote in one. When we argued, Boris would tell me I was too hasty, that in Russia you had to live a long time to see change. Now he'll never see it. RIP. — Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) February 27, 2015 Who would kill Nemtsov? Nemtsov's lawyer Vadim Prokhorov told Russian media that Nemtsov's life had been threatened on social media in recent weeks. But he didn't walk around with bodyguards, noted Julia Ioffe, a contributing writer to The New York Times Magazine who has covered Russian politics extensively. "It was a very overt message of bravery," Ioffe told CNN's "AC360." "What we've seen in return is a very overt message of fear. People in the opposition will not believe anything that comes out of the Kremlin in terms of who did this.

They perceive this as a message directly sent to them. When you see Boris Nemtsov's body lying with the Kremlin as a backdrop, they understand that's a message directed to them." Critics like Yashin and Kasparov pointed fingers in the direction of Putin or a supporter of the Russian President. "It's clearly a political murder. It's definitely a contract one," Yashin said. "I don't know who killed Boris, but I know that it's the government and personally Putin who are responsible for it. They've been constantly promoting a hatred towards everyone who doesn't support their course and thinks different." It's something even Nemtsov himself had said he had thought about, acknowledging in an interview with Russian newspaper Sobesednik this month that he was "a little bit" afraid his mother's fears Putin would have him killed would come true. But, he added, "I'm not afraid of him that much. If I was afraid I wouldn't be heading an opposition party and do what I'm doing." Kasparov said the Russian President is to blame even if not directly involved. "If Putin gave order to murder Boris Nemtsov is not the point. It is Putin's dictatorship.

His 24/7 propaganda about enemies of the state," Kasparov tweeted. "In Putin's atmosphere of hatred & violence, abroad & in Russia, bloodshed is the prerequisite to show loyalty, that you are on the team," he added. In Putin's atmosphere of hatred & violence, abroad & in Russia, bloodshed is the prerequisite to show loyalty, that you are on the team. Leading Putin critic gunned down outside Kremlin - Telegraph Russia Leading Putin critic gunned down outside Kremlin Boris Nemtsov, former deputy prime minister, gunned down near Kremlin before taking part in march against Russian war in Ukraine By Howard Amos in Moscow, and David Millward 12:29PM GMT 28 Feb 2015 Boris Nemtsov, a leading opponent and former deputy prime minister was gunned down in Moscow just a few hours after a radio interview in which he denounced Vladimir Putin's "mad, aggressive" policies, and the day before he was to help lead a rally protesting Russia's actions in the Ukraine crisis and the economic crisis at home.

Nemtsov, 55, was shot in the shadow of the Kremlin shortly before midnight on Friday in a murder that bore all the hallmarks of a contract killing, according to investigators. Friends of Nemtsov said he was writing a report proving Kremlin involvement in backing separatists fighting in Ukraine against the Kiev government. The covered body of Boris Nemtsov on the ground, with St. Basil's Cathedral and the Kremlin in the background.(Reuters) "The most important reason for the crisis is that Putin began this policy of war with Ukraine, which is unbelievably aggressive, fatal for our country, and for many people," Nemtsov said in the interview with radio station Ekho Moskvyat less than four hours before he was killed. "It's been proved that there were Russian soldiers in Crimea". Related Articles Rough justice, Moscow style 27 Apr 2013 Nemtsov’s half-naked and uncovered body lay for about an hour on the spot where he was killed — about 200 meters from the Kremlin walls on Moscow’s Bolshoi Moskvoretsky Bridge — as it was examined by police.

Amid falling wet snow, the corpse was eventually packed up in a black plastic body bag and driven away at 1:40 am. Investigators said that at least seven shots were fired by an unknown assailant, who was being driven in a light-coloured car. Four of the bullets struck Nemtsov in the back, and one of them entered his heart. Mikhail Kirtsev, an eyewitness who arrived at the scene before police cordoned off the immediate vicinity, said there were bullet wounds in Nemtsov’s back, and one on the left side of his body, by his lower ribs. “Maybe he had time to turn around,” Kirtsev said, adding that there was little visible blood. There was no doubt among Nemtsov’s immediate associates that the killing was the result of his political activities. Poroshenko: Nemtsov planned to reveal Russian links to Ukraine conflict “I wasn’t very far away and a friend phoned, I arrived and I saw the body,” said opposition leader Ilya Yashin at the scene a little after 1am.

“My last meeting with him was the day before yesterday… he was preparing to write a report called ‘Putin and War’ and he said he had information proving the participation of the Russian military and Russian soldiers in the Ukrainian conflict,” according to friend and colleague Yashin, who was visibly shocked. “Nemtsov was a bright opposition leader, one of the key leaders of the opposition, and the objects of his criticism were authority figures including President Vladimir Putin,” Yashin added. “I have no doubts that this murder has a political character.” Mourners gather at the scene (Reuters) Nemtsov reportedly met his girlfriend, 23-year old Ukrainian model Anna Duritskaya, for dinner at the GUM shopping centre on Red Square before walking in the direction of his home south of the Moskva River. Duritskaya was unharmed in the incident and was immediately driven away for police questioning.

— Boris Nemtsov (@BorisNemtsov) February 27, 2015 Boris Nemtsov's last tweet, posted only a few hours before his death, publicised an upcoming march against Russia's war in Ukraine Fears about his personal safety had been on Nemtsov’s mind in recent months. In an interview with the Sobesdnik.ru news site less than three weeks ago, Nemtsov admitted he was worried he could be assassinated. “I think that it was he [Putin] who started the war in Ukraine. I think worse of him now than ever,” Nemtsov said at the time. Opposition leader Yashin said at the scene of the murder that Nemtsov had repeatedly received death threats, usually anonymous. A fierce opponent of the Kremlin under Putin’s leadership, Nemtsov, worked as a deputy prime minister in the Russian government under Boris Yeltsin in the late 1990s and was well known both inside Russia and abroad. News of his brutal end has provoked an outpouring of sympathy and anger. "That a leader of the opposition could be shot beside the walls of the Kremlin is beyond imagination.

There can be only one version: that he was shot for telling the truth," Mikhail Kasyanov, an opposition leader and a former prime minister under Putin reportedly said at the scene. Boris Nemtsov with Alexei Navalny at a rally in Moscow in 2011 (AP) An outspoken critic of Putin's increasingly authoritarian rule of Russia, and one of the leaders of the anti-Kremlin protest movement in 2011-2012, Nemtsov last year penned a damning report on the corruption during the Winter Olympics in Sochi. “This cruel murder has all the signs of a contract killing and is of a exclusively provocational nature,” the Kremlin said in a brief statement at 3:45am. “Vladimir Putin has expressed his deep sympathy to the relatives and close friends of the tragically killed Boris Nemtsov.” A woman mourning at the spot where Boris Nemstov was shot (EPA) Police have not commented on a possible motive for the killing, and no suspects in the death have yet been arrested. Police officers were reportedly searching Nemtsov’s Moscow apartment on Saturday morning.

Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, said that the killing was likely to ratchet up tensions in Russia, where Putin has ridden a wave of nationalist support following his handling of the Ukraine crisis. “The murder of Boris Nemtsov is an attempt to complicate the situation, maybe even to destabilize the situation in the country,” Gorbachev said, the Interfax news agency reported. A man puts flowers at the site of murder of Boris Nemtsov in central Moscow (EPA) Dozens of high profile critics of the Kremlin have been assassinated in Russia, including crusading journalist Anna Politkovskaya in 2006 and human rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov in 2009. Subsequent investigations have had little success in finding those who ordered the killings. On the Bolshoi Moskvoretsky Bridge, a stone’s throw from the onion domes of St Basil’s Cathedral, old and young people were coming to lay flowers at the site of the murder on Saturday morning. A group of around 30 police was keeping order.

Yulia, who said she had come from the southern Russian city of Stavropol for the opposition march on Sunday and declined to give her name, described Nemtsov’s killing by the Kremlin as symbolic. “I will go on the march, it’s the only thing I can do,” she said, adding she believed those who ordered his murder would never be found. Russian opposition leader Ilya Yashin at the scene (AP) Other people at the scene included associates and colleagues of Nemtsov. “I experienced complete horror last night because he was a close friend and we worked together,” said former duma deputy Boris Nadezhdin, who had come to lay a bunch of red roses. A photograph pinned to a traffic cone marked the spot was Nemtsov fell. “This has not happened for many years, that they have killed such a leader… he was a real man, loved life and was not afraid of anything,” said Nadezhdin. On Saturday morning David Cameron said he was "shocked and sickened" by Mr Nemtsov's murder. The Prime Minister said the "callous" killing of the Russian opposition politician "must be fully, rapidly and transparently investigated, and those responsible brought to justice". Shock.

Borys was murdered. It is hard to believe. I have no doubt that murderers will be brought to justice. Sooner or later. Rest in peace. Boris Nemtsov shot at least four times from a car Nemtsov was an outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin Putin offered his condolences and called the murder a provocation Investigative Committee, answering to Putin, opened an investigation Boris Nemtsov, a charismatic Russian opposition leader and sharp critic of President Vladimir Putin, was gunned down near the Kremlin, just a day before a planned protest against the government. Nemtsov's death late on Friday ignited a fury among opposition figures who assailed the Kremlin for creating an atmosphere of intolerance of any dissent and called the killing an assassination. Kremlin opponents killed or died in suspicious circumstances Boris Berezovsky, 67, a former oligarch and fierce foe of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Found hanged in a bathroom at his home in the UK on March 23, 2013. Anna Politkovskaya, 48, a journalist, is shot dead at the entrance to her apartment block in central Moscow on October 7, 2006.

Alexander Litvinenko, 43, former intelligence officer turned Putin critic dies after allegedly drinking tea laced with radioactive on November 23, 2006. Putin quickly offered his condolences and called the murder a provocation. He also vowed to do everything possible to bring to justice those responsible for the vile murder of Nemtsov. "Everything will be done so that the organisers and perpetrators of a vile and cynical murder get the punishment they deserve," Putin said in a telegram to Nemtsov's mother published on the Kremlin's website. Putin told Nemtsov's 86-year-old mother, Dina Eidman, that his death was an irreparable loss and that he had "left his trace in Russia's history, in politics and public life." Nemtsov, a 55-year-old former deputy prime minister, was working on a report presenting evidence that he believed proved Russia's direct involvement in the separatist rebellion that has raged in eastern Ukraine since last April. Ukraine and the West accuse Russia of backing the rebels with troops and sophisticated weapons. Moscow denies the accusations. 'Contract killing' Hundreds of mourners gathered at a makeshift memorial at the site of the killing on Saturday in tribute to the slain opposition politician.

Putin ordered Russia's top law enforcement chiefs to personally oversee the probe of Nemtsov's killing. "Putin noted that this cruel murder has all the makings of a contract hit and is extremely provocative," presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in remarks carried by Russian news agencies. Nemtsov was shot at around 23:40 local time on Friday while crossing the Bolshoy Kamenny Bridge accompanied by a Ukrainian woman [Reuters] President Barack Obama called on Russia's government to perform a "prompt, impartial and transparent" investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice. Obama called Nemtsov a "tireless advocate" for the rights of Russian citizens. Nemtsov assailed the government's inefficiency, rampant corruption and the Kremlin's Ukraine policy, which has strained relations between Russia and the West to a degree unseen since Cold War times. In an interview with the Sobesednik newspaper, Nemtsov said earlier this month that his 86-year-old mother was afraid that Putin could have him killed for his opposition activities.

Asked if he had such fears himself, he responded by saying: "If I were afraid I wouldn't have led an opposition party." Speaking on radio just a few hours before his death, he harshly criticised Putin for plunging Russia into the crisis by his "mad, aggressive and deadly policy of war against Ukraine". "The country needs a political reform," Nemtsov said on Ekho Moskvy radio. "When power is concentrated in the hands of one person and this person rules for ever, this will lead to an absolute catastrophe, absolute." Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called Nemtsov a personal friend and a "bridge" between the two countries. He said on his Facebook page that he hopes the killers will be punished. Nemtsov's lawyer Vadim Prokhorov said the politician had received threats on social networks and told police about them, but authorities didn't take any steps to protect him. The Russian interior ministry, which oversees Russia's police force, said that Nemtsov was killed by four shots in the back from a passing car as he was walking over a bridge just outside the Kremlin shortly after midnight.

Drive-by shooting Interior ministry spokeswoman Yelena Alexeyeva told reporters that Nemtsov was walking with a female acquaintance, a Ukrainian citizen, when a vehicle drove up and unidentified assailants shot him dead. In the 21st century, a leader of the opposition is being demonstratively shot just outside the walls of the Kremlin. The country is rolling into the abyss. Mikhail Kasyanov, former Russian PM turned opposition leader The woman wasn't hurt and was being questioned by police. Mikhail Kasyanov, a former Russian prime minister now also in opposition, said he was shocked. "In the 21st century, a leader of the opposition is being demonstratively shot just outside the walls of the Kremlin!" Kasyanov told reporters as Nemtsov's body, placed in a plastic bag, was removed on a rainy and cold night, as the Kremlin bells chimed nearby. "The country is rolling into the abyss." Sunday's rally was pushed to the city's outskirts by the authorities, but Kasyanov said the rally organisers decided that they will stage a demonstration in the centre of the capital to commemorate Nemtsov. Officials' failure to authorise it would be certain to cause anger and could lead to unrest.

Opposition activist Ilya Yashin, who last spoke to Nemtsov two days before the killing, said he had no doubt that Nemtsov's murder was politically motivated. "Boris Nemtsov was a stark opposition leader who criticised the most important state officials in our country, including President Vladimir Putin. As we have seen, such criticism in Russia is dangerous for one's life," Yashin said. People visited the site where Boris Nemtsov was shot dead near the Kremlin and Red Square in central Moscow [Reuters] A photo and flowers were placed at the site where Boris Nemtsov was shot dead, near the Kremlin in central Moscow [Reuters] Source: Al Jazeera and agencies Related Russians to march in memory of murdered critic of Putin | Reuters Sat Feb 28, 2015 | 5:29 PM EST Russians to march in memory of murdered critic of Putin By Timothy Heritage and Katya Golubkova | MOSCOW MOSCOW Opposition supporters will march through Moscow on Sunday in memory of Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov, whose murder has increased concern about Russia's future among opponents of President Vladimir Putin.

Thousands of people laid flowers and lit candles on Saturday on a bridge near the Kremlin where the opposition politician and former deputy prime minister was shot dead late on Friday. National investigators who answer to Putin say they are pursuing several lines of inquiry, including the possibility that Nemtsov, a Jew, was killed by radical Islamists or that the opposition killed him to blacken the president's name. Putin's opponents say such suggestions show the cynicism of Russia's leaders as they whip up nationalism, hatred and anti-Western hysteria to rally support for his policies on Ukraine and deflect blame for an economic crisis. "It is a blow to Russia. If political views are punished this way, then this country simply has no future," Sergei Mitrokhin, an opposition leader, said of Nemtsov's murder. Putin has described the killing as a "provocation", and told Nemtsov's mother that the killers would be found and punished. Some Muscovites, accepting a line repeated by state media, appear to agree that the opposition, struggling to make an impact after a clampdown on dissent in Putin's third spell as president, might have killed one of their own. "The authorities definitely do not benefit from this. Everybody had long forgotten about this man, Nemtsov ...

It is definitely a 'provocation'," said one Moscow resident, who gave his name only as Denis. PUTIN REMAINS DOMINANT Nemtsov, who was 55, was one of the leading lights of an opposition struggling to revive its fortunes, three years after mass rallies against Putin that failed to prevent him returning to the presidency after four years as prime minister. Putin has now been Russia's dominant leader since 2000, when ailing President Boris Yeltsin chose the former KGB spy as his successor, a role Nemtsov had once been destined to play. Even many of Putin's opponents have little doubt that he will win another six years in power at the next election, due in 2018, despite a financial crisis aggravated by Western economic sanctions over the Ukraine crisis and a fall in oil prices. Many opposition leaders have been jailed on what they say are trumped-up charges, or have fled the country. Nemtsov had hoped, however, to start the opposition's revival with a march in Marino on the outskirts of Moscow on Sunday to protest against Putin's economic policies and what they see as Russia's involvement in the separatist war in east Ukraine. The Kremlin denies any role in the fighting.

Announcing a new plan after Nemtsov's death, Leonid Volkov, one of the organizers, said: "The march in the Marino district which we had planned - a positive march with flags and balloons - does not fit this tragic moment and the magnitude of Nemtsov's persona, as well as the magnitude of the red line we have now crossed and which we have not yet recognized." The opposition said Moscow city authorities had approved the march from 3 p.m. (1200 GMT), allowing for up to 50,000 people, though the organizers say more could show up to march alongside the River Moskva. Nemtsov had said in an interview that he feared Putin may want him dead because of his outspoken criticism of Russia's role in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Nemtsov had told him about two weeks ago that he planned to publish evidence of Russian involvement in Ukraine's separatist conflict. "Someone was very afraid of this ... They killed him," Poroshenko said in televised comments shown in Ukraine. Kiev, the West and some Russians accuse Moscow of sending troops and weaponry to support separatist rebels who have risen up in east Ukraine, an accusation Russia has denied.

Others saw the murder as a result of a climate of fear where Putin demands total loyalty and supporters go to great lengths to do what they think may please him. (Reporting By Timothy Heritage; editing by Ralph Boulton) ADVERTISEMENT 1/19 People gather at the site where Boris Nemtsov was recently murdered, with St. Basil's Cathedral and the Kremlin walls seen in the background, in central Moscow, February 28, 2015. Reuters/Maxim Zmeyev + 2/19 People lay flowers at the site where Boris Nemtsov was recently murdered, in central Moscow, February 28, 2015. Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin + 3/19 Medics carry the body of Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead, in central Moscow February 28, 2015. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov + 4/19 A group (front) of foreign ambassadors and officials visit the site where Boris Nemtsov was recently murdered, with St. Basil's Cathedral and the Kremlin walls seen in the background, in central Moscow, February 28, 2015.

Reuters/Maxim Zmeyev + 5/19 A woman reacts as she visits the site where Boris Nemtsov was recently murdered, in central Moscow, February 28, 2015. Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin + 6/19 A visitor holds a photo at the site where Boris Nemtsov was recently murdered, in central Moscow, February 28, 2015. Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin + 7/19 People gather at the site where Boris Nemtsov was recently murdered, with St. Basil's Cathedral and the Kremlin seen in the background, in central Moscow, February 28, 2015.. Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin + 8/19 A woman reacts as she visits the site where Boris Nemtsov was recently murdered, in central Moscow, February 28, 2015. Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin + 9/19 People gather at the site where Boris Nemtsov was recently murdered in central Moscow, February 28, 2015.

Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin + 10/19 A photo, an icon and flowers are placed at the site where Boris Nemtsov was shot dead, near the Kremlin in central Moscow, February 28, 2015. Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin + 11/19 Opposition leader Boris Nemtsov speaks to the media during a gathering of opposition supporters in central Moscow March 17, 2012. Reuters/Mikhail Voskresensky/Files + 12/19 Russia's former Prime Minister and an opposition leader Mikhail Kasyanov (front) addresses the media as he visits the place where Boris Nemtsov was shot dead, in central Moscow February 28, 2015. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov + 13/19 A woman lays flowers in memory of Boris Nemtsov, who was recently murdered in Moscow, in Independence Square in Kiev, February 28, 2015.

Reuters/Valentyn Ogirenko + 14/19 Grigory Yavlinsky, politician and acquaintance of Boris Nemtsov, lays flowers as he visits the site of the murder in central Moscow, February 28, 2015. Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin + 15/19 People react at the site, where Boris Nemtsov was recently murdered, in central Moscow, February 28, 2015. Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin + 16/19 Opposition activist Ilya Yashin lays flowers at the site where Boris Nemtsov was murdered in central Moscow, February 28, 2015. Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin + 17/19 People visit the site where Boris Nemtsov was shot dead near the Kremlin and Red Square in central Moscow, February 28, 2015. Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin + 18/19 Widgets Magazine — Yury Barmin (@yurybarmin) February 27, 2015 Six shell casings were found at the scene of the murder.

However, investigators think at least seven or eight shots were fired. The court medical examiner later determined Nemtsov was killed by a bullet to the heart. On the site of the killing of leading opposition figure and former deputy prime minister Boris Nemtsov © Sputnik/ Iliya Pitalev Oppositioner Ilya Yashin and TV host Ksenia Sobchak on the site of the killing of leading opposition figure and former deputy prime minister Boris Nemtsov © Sputnik/ Iliya Pitalev On the site of the killing of leading opposition figure and former deputy prime minister Boris Nemtsov © Sputnik/ Iliya Pitalev — Молния! (@molniatv) February 27, 2015 Nemtsov was 55 years old. He was born in Sochi. In 1985, he received his Ph.D in Physics and Mathemathics at the State University of Gorky. In 1991, Boris Nemtsov was appointed the governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region. He also was a former deputy prime minister in the Russian government under President Boris Yeltsin.

At one point he was considered a likely presidential candidate. After Vladimir Putin became the country's president, Nemtsov actively criticized the administration and its policies. Since September 2013 and until his death, Nemtsov served as a member of the Yaroslavl Region's parliament. He was a member of the city council in Yaroslavl, near Moscow, and since 2012 he was co-chair of the Republican Party of Russia — People's Freedom Party (RPR-PARNAS). He was elected several times in the past as a member of the Russian parliament. President Putin was immediately informed of Nemtsov's assassination, according to Presidential Press Secretary Dmitriy Peskov. According to him, Putin expressed deep condolences to Nemtsov's family and loved ones. "Putin emphasized that this brutal murder has all the signs of being ordered and is of an exclusively provocative character," Peskov said. — Dmitry Zaks (@dmitryzaksAFP) February 27, 2015 Putin ordered the creation of a joint investigative committee made up of various Russian law enforcement agencies. Committee representative Vladimir Markin confirmed that the investigation is focusing on two charges: illegal transfer of arms and murder.

Police later identified a white Ford captured by security surveillance cameras, which cover the area because of its proximity to the Kremlin. They determined the license plate number of the vehicle, but released no information as to whom the vehicle belongs and to whether or not it was stolen. Former Deputy Prime Minister in Putin's government Alexey Kudrin, who knew Nemtsov well, told RIA Novosti that "Nemtsov's murder is a terrible tragedy for Russia, and the investigation must be completed at all costs." The shooting came two hours after Nemtsov gave an interview to the Echo of Moscow radio station about a demonstration planned for March 1. Co-chair of the RPR-PARNAS party Mikhail Kasyanov announced early Saturday that the march was cancelled because of Nemtsov's death. ... Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov shot in Moscow RUSSIAN opposition leader and outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin, Boris Nemtsov, has reportedly been shot dead in central Moscow. Nemtsov was killed just a day before a protest planned against Putin’s rule.

The death of Nemtsov, a 55-year-old former deputy prime minister, ignited a fury among opposition figures who assailed the Kremlin for creating an atmosphere of intolerance of any dissent. Putin quickly offered his condolences and called the murder a provocation. PHOTO: Site of #Nemtsov 's killing, center of Moscow. pic.twitter.com/vDzuJgoMss Via @Dobrokhotov — Conflict News (@rConflictNews) February 27, 2015 Putin ordered Russia’s law enforcement chiefs to oversee the probe. “Putin noted that this cruel murder has all the makings of a contract hit and is extremely provocative,” presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in remarks carried by Russian news agencies. BACKGROUNDER: Understanding Putin’s precarious position Nemtsov assailed the government’s inefficiency, rampant corruption and the Kremlin’s Ukraine policy, which has strained relations between Russia and the West to a degree unseen since Cold War times. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Facebook that he was shocked by the killing of Nemtsov, who he called a friend and a “bridge” between the two countries. He said he hopes the killers will be punished.

In the shadow of the halls of power ... Medics lift the body of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, on Moskvoretsky bridge near St. Basil cathedral in central Moscow. Source: AFPSource:AFP Nemtsov’s lawyer Vadim Prokhorov said the politician had received threats on social networks and told police about them, but authorities didn’t take any steps to protect him. The Russian Interior Ministry, which oversees Russia’s police force, said that Nemtsov was killed by four shots in the back from a passing car as he was walking over a bridge just outside the Kremlin shortly after midnight. Unbelievable: scene of #Nemtsov murder is being washed. Kinda shows how serious investigation gonna be - via @NeilRem pic.twitter.com/1g3kcX301r — Olga Tokariuk (@olgatokariuk) February 27, 2015 Interior Ministry spokeswoman Yelena Alexeyeva told reporters that Nemtsov was walking with a female acquaintance, a Ukrainian citizen, when a vehicle drove up and unidentified assailants shot him dead. The woman wasn’t hurt. Unconfirmed reports state she is being questioned by police.

Russian politician Nemtsov was with 22-year-old Ukrainian model when he was murdered - LifeNews pic.twitter.com/rYfwGUNPEg — Conflict News (@rConflictNews) February 28, 2015 President Barack Obama called on Russia’s government to perform a “prompt, impartial and transparent” investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice. Obama called Nemtsov a “tireless advocate” for the rights of Russian citizens. Another photo from Boris #Nemtsov murder scene in Moscow @IlyaYashin via @martin_camera pic.twitter.com/jSIumJD3h1 — Silver Surfer (@RobPulseNews) February 27, 2015 Mikhail Kasyanov, a former Russian prime minister now also in opposition, said he was shocked. “In the 21st century, a leader of the opposition is being demonstratively shot just outside the walls of the Kremlin!” Kasyanov told reporters as Nemtsov’s body placed in a plastic bag was removed on a rainy and cold night, as the Kremlin bells chimed nearby.

“The country is roiling into the abyss.” Putin Political Opponent Shot Dead in Moscow0:50 Boris Nemtsov, an antigovernment protestor and critic of Russian president Vladimir Putin, was shot and killed near the Kremlin late Friday, in what authorities said appeared to be a contract killing. February 28th 2015 /video/video.news.com.au/News/World/ Kasyanov said the opposition march set for Sunday would proceed as planned. Garry Kasparov, a former chess champion who worked with Nemtsov to organize protests against Putin and now lives in the United States, tweeted: “Devastated to hear of the brutal murder of my long-time opposition colleague Boris Nemtsov. Shot 4 times, once for each child he leaves.” Opposition activist Ilya Yashin said on Ekho Moskvy radio that he last spoke with Nemtsov two days before the killing. Nemtsov was working on a report presenting evidence that he believed proved Russia’s direct involvement in the separatist rebellion that erupted in eastern Ukraine last year.

POTUS: United States condemns brutal murder of Boris #Nemtsov — WH National Security (@NSCPress) February 27, 2015 Ukraine and the West have accused Russia of backing the rebels with troops and weapons. Moscow has denied the accusations, but large numbers of sophisticated heavy weapons in the rebels’ possession has strained the credibility of its denials. Yashin said he had no doubt that Nemtsov’s murder was politically motivated. “Boris Nemtsov was a stark opposition leader who criticized the most important state officials in our country, including President Vladimir Putin. As we have seen, such criticism in Russia is dangerous for one’s life,” he said. Imperial presence ... Police investigate the area next to the body of Boris Nemtsov at Red Square in Moscow, Russia. Source: APSource:AP Political analyst Stanislav Belkovsky told Ekho Mosvky radio station that he did not believe that Nemtsov’s death would in any way serve Putin’s interests.

“But the atmosphere of hatred toward alternative thinkers that has formed over the past year, since the annexation of Crimea, may have played its role,” Belkovsky said, referring to the surge of intense and officially endorsed nationalist discourse in Russia since it annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. Irina Khakamada, a prominent opposition figure who co-founded a liberal party with Nemtsov, blamed a climate of intimidation and warned that the murder could herald a dangerous destabilization. Vladimir Putin immediately informed of Boris Nemtsov’s murder in Moscow — spokesman — ITAR-TASS (@ITARTASSnews_en) February 27, 2015 “It’s a provocation that is clearly not in Putin’s interests, it’s aimed at rocking the situation,” she said in remarks carried by RIA Novosti news agency. Nemtsov served as a deputy prime minister in the 1990s and once was seen as a possible successor to Boris Yeltsin, Russia’s first elected president. After Putin was first elected in 2000, Nemtsov became one of the most vocal critics of his rule. He helped organize street protests and exposed official corruption.

He was one of the organizers of the Spring March opposition protest set for Sunday, which comes amid a severe economic downturn in Russia caused by low oil prices and Western sanctions. Live from the scene Russians march in memory of murdered Putin critic | Reuters Sun Mar 1, 2015 | 5:33 PM EST Russians march in memory of murdered Putin critic By Polina Devitt and Maxim Rodionov | MOSCOW MOSCOW Tens of thousands of Russians marched through central Moscow on Sunday, carrying banners declaring "I am not afraid" and chanting "Russia without Putin" in memory of murdered Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov. Families, the old and young walked slowly, with many holding portraits of the opposition politician and former deputy prime minister who was shot dead while walking home from a nearby restaurant on Friday night. The authorities have suggested the opposition itself may have been behind his shooting in an attempt to create a martyr and unite the fractured movement. His supporters have blamed the authorities. "If we can stop the campaign of hate that's being directed at the opposition, then we have a chance to change Russia. If not, then we face the prospect of mass civil conflict," Gennady Gudkov, an opposition leader, told Reuters.

"The authorities are corrupt and don't allow any threats to them to emerge. Boris was uncomfortable for them." His murder has divided opinion in a country where for years after the Soviet Union collapsed many yearned for the stability later brought by former KGB agent Vladimir Putin. A small but active opposition now says Putin's rule has become an autocracy that flaunts international norms after Russia seized Ukraine's Crimea peninsula last year, fanned nationalism over the separatist war in eastern Ukraine and clamped down on dissent. "(Nemtsov) was harmful to the authorities, but the authorities themselves are criminal. The authorities have trampled on all international rights, seized Crimea, started war with Ukraine," said Yuri Voinov, an elderly physicist. Police said 21,000 people attended the march. The organizers put the numbers at tens of thousands, but attendance appeared smaller than the 50,000 people the opposition had hoped for. Reuters reporters at the march estimated the numbers in the tens of thousands. People walked in the rain within view of the Kremlin's red walls and past the spot, now covered in flowers, where Nemtsov was shot dead.

Some carried large banners carrying Nemtsov's face reading "Heroes Never Die", the same slogan used in Ukraine to celebrate more than 100 people killed in protests that overthrew Moscow-leaning President Viktor Yanukovich a year ago. One elderly woman, her hair tucked into a woolen cap, held up a hand-written sign to cover her face: "It's a geopolitical catastrophe when a KGB officer declares himself president for life. Putin resign!" PUTIN REMAINS DOMINANT Putin has vowed to pursue those who killed Nemtsov, calling the murder a "provocation". National investigators who answer to the Russian leader offered a 3-million-rouble reward, around $50,000, for information on Nemtsov's death. They say they are pursuing several lines of inquiry, including the possibility that Nemtsov, a Jew, was killed by radical Islamists or that the opposition killed him to blacken Putin's name. Nemtsov's funeral is due to be held on Tuesday in Moscow.

Putin's opponents say such suggestions, repeated over pro-Kremlin media, show the cynicism of Russia's leaders as they whip up nationalism, hatred and anti-Western hysteria to rally support for his policies on Ukraine and deflect blame for an economic crisis. "We are told on TV that a conspiracy by the West and those among us who have sold out to them are behind our poverty. People should throw away the TV set and go to protest," said Olga, 42, who declined to give her last name. Some Muscovites have accepted the official line and appear to agree that the opposition, struggling to make an impact after a clampdown on dissent in Putin's third spell as president, might have killed one of their own. "The authorities definitely do not benefit from this. Everybody had long forgotten about this man, Nemtsov ... It is definitely a 'provocation'," said one Moscow resident, who gave his name only as Denis.

Some young people walking in central Moscow asked: "Who is Nemtsov anyway?" FRACTURED OPPOSITION Nemtsov, who was 55, was one of the leading lights of a divided opposition struggling to revive its fortunes, three years after mass rallies against Putin failed to prevent him returning to the presidency after four years as prime minister. With an athletic build and characteristic mop of curly hair, Nemtsov had been a face of the opposition for years, along with anti-corruption blogger Alexei Navalny and former prime minister Mikhail Kasyanov, though no one figure has succeeded in uniting the ranks of opposition-minded Muscovites. The opposition has little support outside big cities and Putin has now been Russia's dominant leader since 2000, when ailing President Boris Yeltsin chose him as his successor, a role Nemtsov had once been destined to play. Even many of Putin's opponents have little doubt that he will win another six years in power at the next election, due in 2018, despite a financial crisis aggravated by Western economic sanctions over the Ukraine crisis and a fall in oil prices. Many opposition leaders have been jailed on what they say are trumped-up charges, or have fled the country.

Nemtsov, a fighter against corruption who said he feared Putin may want him dead, had hoped to start the opposition's revival with a march he had been planning for Sunday against Putin's economic policies and Russia's role in east Ukraine. The Kremlin denies sending arms or troops to Ukraine. In a change of plan, the opposition said Moscow city authorities had allowed a march of up to 50,000 people alongside the River Moskva to commemorate Nemtsov's death. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Nemtsov had told him about two weeks ago that he planned to publish evidence of Russian involvement in Ukraine's separatist conflict. (Additional reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin, Alexander Winning and Katya Golubkova, Writing by Timothy Heritage, Elizabeth Piper and Thomas Grove,; Editing by Philippa Fletcher) ADVERTISEMENT 1/32 People hold flags and posters during a march to commemorate Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead on Friday night, near St. Basil's Cathedral in central Moscow March 1, 2015.

Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin + 2/32 People hold placards to commemorate Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead on Friday night, in central Moscow March 1, 2015. Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin + 3/32 People march behind a banner to commemorate Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead on Friday night, in central St. Petersburg March 1, 2015. Reuters/Peter Kovalev + 4/32 People march behind a banner to commemorate Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead on Friday night, in central St. Petersburg March 1, 2015. Reuters/Peter Kovalev + 5/32 A poster of Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead on Friday night, is seen during a march to commemorate him near St. Basil's Cathedral in central Moscow March 1, 2015.

Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin + 6/32 People march behind a large banner to commemorate Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead on Friday night, in central Moscow March 1, 2015. Reuters/Maxim Zmeyev + 7/32 People march behind a banner to commemorate Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead on Friday night, in central Moscow March 1, 2015. Reuters/Maxim Zmeyev + 8/32 People march to commemorate Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead on Friday night, in central Moscow March 1, 2015. Reuters/Maxim Zmeyev + 9/32 People hold posters of Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead on Friday night, during a march to commemorate him in central Moscow March 1, 2015. Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin + 10/32 People hold flags and posters during a march to commemorate Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead on Friday night, in central Moscow March 1, 2015.

Reuters/Maxim Shemetov + 11/32 A woman holds a sign with an image depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin and a photograph of Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead on Friday night, during a march to commemorate Nemtsov in central Moscow March 1, 2015. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov + 12/32 People hold flags and posters during a march to commemorate Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead on Friday night, in central Moscow March 1, 2015. Reuters/Tatyana Makeyeva + 13/32 Opposition leader and Russia's former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov (R) speaks to the media next to opposition activists Ilya Yashin (L) during a march to commemorate Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead on Friday night, in central Moscow March 1, 2015. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov + 14/32 People gather at the site where Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov was murdered on Friday night, during a march to commemorate him in central Moscow March 1, 2015.

Reuters/Maxim Shemetov + 15/32 A poster of Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead on Friday night, is seen during a march to commemorate him in central Moscow March 1, 2015. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov + 16/32 People hold a banner of Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead on Friday night, during a march to commemorate him in central Moscow March 1, 2015. Reuters/Tatyana Makeyeva + 17/32 The Russian national flag is pictured during a march to commemorate Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead on Friday night, in central Moscow March 1, 2015. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov + 18/32 A placard which reads ''Boris'' with a letter of a soft sign (''Fight'') is seen at the site, where Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov was murdered on Friday night, in central Moscow March 1, 2015.

Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin + 19/32 People hold posters during a march to commemorate Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead on Friday night, in central Moscow March 1, 2015. Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin + 20/32 People carry a banner demanding the liberation of Ukrainian army pilot Nadezhda (Nadia) Savchenko during a march to commemorate Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead on Friday night, in central Moscow March 1, 2015. Reuters/Tatyana Makeyeva + 21/32 A woman throws flowers at the site where Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov was murdered on Friday night, during a march to commemorate him in central Moscow March 1, 2015. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov + 22/32 Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov speaks on his mobile phone before giving an interview to radio station Ekho Moskvy, hours before he was shot in Moscow in this still image from an Ekho Moskvy video on February 27, 2015.

Reuters/Ekho Moskvy via Reuters TV + 23/32 Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov speaks on his mobile phone before giving an interview to radio station Ekho Moskvy, hours before he was shot in Moscow in this still image from an Ekho Moskvy video on February 27, 2015. MANDATORY CREDIT. Reuters/Ekho Moskvy via Reuters TV + 24/32 People hold placards during a march to commemorate Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead on Friday night, in central Moscow March 1, 2015. Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin + 25/32 People gather at the site where Boris Nemtsov was recently murdered, with St. Basil's Cathedral and the Kremlin walls seen in the background, in central Moscow, February 28, 2015. Reuters/Maxim Zmeyev + 26/32 People gather at the site where Boris Nemtsov was recently murdered in central Moscow, February 28, 2015.

Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin + 27/32 A photo, an icon and flowers are placed at the site where Boris Nemtsov was shot dead, near the Kremlin in central Moscow, February 28, 2015. Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin + 28/32 Opposition leader Boris Nemtsov speaks to the media during a gathering of opposition supporters in central Moscow March 17, 2012. Reuters/Mikhail Voskresensky/Files + 29/32 Russia's former Prime Minister and an opposition leader Mikhail Kasyanov (front) addresses the media as he visits the place where Boris Nemtsov was shot dead, in central Moscow February 28, 2015. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov + 30/32 A woman lays flowers in memory of Boris Nemtsov, who was recently murdered in Moscow, in Independence Square in Kiev, February 28, 2015.

Reuters/Valentyn Ogirenko + 31/32 Grigory Yavlinsky, politician and acquaintance of Boris Nemtsov, lays flowers as he visits the site of the murder in central Moscow, February 28, 2015. Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin + 32/32 People react at the site, where Boris Nemtsov was recently murdered, in central Moscow, February 28, 2015. Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin + Ukraine Prime Minister blames Vladimir Putin for Boris Nemtsov's death | Daily Mail Online 'We are all Nemtsov': Hundreds gather to protest death of Russian opposition leader as Ukraine Prime Minister blames Putin for his death Politician Boris Nemtsov was killed in front of his girlfriend on Friday night The 55-year-old was a staunch critic of Vladimir Putin and his government Critics have assigned blame to the Russian President for Nemtsov's death Hundreds gathered at the site in central Moscow protesting 'je suis Boris' They claim the murder was an attack on free speech like Charlie Hebdo Putin described the killing as 'vile' and has taken control of investigation World leaders demanded transparency as inquiries into death continue

Question: Name the Russian politician shot and killed near the Kremlin on 27th February 2015?
Answer: Boris Nemtsov