The daughter of Alexander Dugin – a close ally and adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin – has reportedly been killed in an assassination attempt meant for her father.

Darya Dugin was ‘blown to pieces’ near Moscow suburb of Bolshiye Vyazyomy, according to reports, which say that Alexander had originally planned to travel back with her from a festival before deciding to ride in a separate car, according to the and other outlets.

Wow, Alexander Dugin’s daughter Darya has reportedly been killed in a car explosion. Her Land Cruiser Prado exploded near the village of Bolshiye Vyazyomy. According to preliminary reports, she died on the spot. pic.twitter.com/2dKOMtveIv

— Tadeusz Giczan (@TadeuszGiczan) August 20, 2022

Dugin is the former chief editor of the pro-Putin Tsargrad TV network, and has been often portrayed in Western media as being a ‘mastermind’ of the Ukraine invasion, as well as an intellectual / philosopher who’s had a large influence in Russia’s post-Soviet nationalism.

In an Instagram post, Denis Pushilin, head of the Donetsk People’s Republic in eastern Ukraine, called it an ‘attack’ by ‘vile villains,’ adding “The terrorists of the Ukrainian regime, trying to eliminate Alexander Dugin, blew up his daughter… In a car. Blessed memory of Daria, she is a real Russian girl!”

“The tenacity of these Ukro-Reich morons is amazing. Everyone, if possible, needs to be home in the next hour,” he added.

An alleged photo of the scene was posted to Telegram by “MOW!” Moscow News, with the caption (translated): “All that remains of the blown up car of the daughter of the famous public figure Alexander Dugin on the Mozhaisk highway in the Moscow region. The SUV of Darya Dugina detonated while driving, after which it caught fire.”