A Russian novelist who supports Russian President Vladimir Putin's government was injured in a suspect car bombing on Saturday, according to reports from the nation's state media.
Zadhar Prilepin was taken to the hospital and the driver of his car was killed in the explosion.
Pro-Putin Novelist Injured in Suspected Car Bombing Outside of Moscow #LondonEurope #NationalSecurity #Politics https://t.co/u50CX57UX3
— Venik (@venik44) May 6, 2023
The explosion was the third in Russian in recent months as attacks within the country continue under Putin.
"In August 2022, a car bombing on the outskirts of Moscow killed Daria Dugina, the daughter of an influential Russian political theorist often referred to as 'Putin’s brain.' The authorities alleged that Ukraine was behind the blast," the Associated Press reported.
"Last month, an explosion in a cafe in St. Petersburg killed a popular military blogger, Vladlen Tatarsky. Officials once again blamed Ukrainian intelligence agencies for orchestrating it," it added.
Russian novelist Zakhar Prilepin, who is known for being an outspoken supporter of Russia's war in Ukraine, was injured in a car bombing in a village about 250 miles east of Moscow https://t.co/0B72IiG4WH pic.twitter.com/aQZGzyhYsy
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 6, 2023
"Russia's Foreign Ministry accused Ukraine and the Western states backing it, particularly the United States, for the latest attack on the writer, an ardent proponent of Moscow's military campaign in Ukraine," Reuters reported.
"Ukraine's security services, in its standard response, refused to confirm or deny involvement. A senior Ukrainian official accused Russia of staging the incident," it added.
Russia's top investigative agency on Saturday said the suspect in a car bombing that injured a prominent pro-Kremlin novelist and killed his driver has admitted acting at the behest of Ukraine's special services. https://t.co/WDERHHYcAf
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 6, 2023
Prilepin founded the political party For the Truth which later merged with the nation's nationalist party. He won a seat in the nation's parliament in 2021 but later gave up the position.
The controversy also comes shortly after claims by the Kremlin that a drone attack attempted to assassinate Putin. The government blamed Ukraine and the U.S., though Putin was not at the location and does not live in the Kremlin.
The ongoing violence follows more than a year of Russia's invasion of Ukraine that has led the U.S. and many European nations to back the former Soviet republic through both humanitarian relief and military funding.
The latest explosion adds to the controversy, with the Kremlin using it as another way to blame those beyond its borders.
