Moscow (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Boris Nemtsov, a leading opponent to Vladimir Putin and a former Liberal deputy premier at the time of the Yeltsin presidency, was killed last night with four shots in the back. The ambush took place as he was walking in central Moscow, near the Kremlin.
According to Yuri Barmin, friend and fellow political activist, one or more people got out of a white car and shot at Nemtsov not far from St Basil's Cathedral, a short walk from Red Square.
"The brutal murder could likely be a contract street killing, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, referring to what happened as a provocation," the Sputnik news agency reported.
The Russian president assumed "personal control" of the inquiry into the killing, ordering the security agencies to investigate.
"The United States condemns the brutal murder of Boris Nemtsov, and we call upon the Russian government to conduct a prompt, impartial, and transparent investigation into the circumstances of his murder and ensure that those responsible for this vicious killing are brought to justice," US President Barack Obama said in a statement.
The US leader met Nemtsov during a 2009 trip to Moscow, where he held talks with opposition parties. Obama said he admired Nemtsov's "courageous dedication to the struggle against corruption in Russia."
Nemtsov was considered one of Russia's most charismatic politicians. Recently, the 55 year-old former deputy prime minister under Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin and President Boris Yeltsin had created enemies, in particular, for his criticism of government leaders in connection with the Ukrainian crisis.
He was planning to take part with other government opponents in a public protest on Sunday against the war in eastern Ukraine. In a recent interview, he had expressed fears for his own life.
Born on 9 October 1959 in Sochi, the father of four was been a member of the regional parliament of Yaroslavl Oblast (elected in 2013).
Last year, before the Sochi Winter Olympics, he had accused the Russian president of corruption.