Russian writer and politician evolves favorably after attack

Russian nationalist writer and co-chairman of the center-left A Just Russia-For Truth party Zajar Prilepin is evolving favorably of the injuries caused by the attempt on his life on Saturday when a bomb planted in his vehicle exploded near the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod, which caused the death of his driver, according to the Russian news agency TASS.

Prilepin, hospitalized with a leg injury with "minor fractures", has already completed initial treatment. "He is in a good mood, within what is possible in this situation, and wants to thank his relatives," his spokeswoman, Elizaveta Kondakova, told the TASS agency.

The authorities opened an investigation for terrorism and have pointed as responsible to a citizen of Ukrainian origin who had recently obtained Russian citizenship and that he is already detained. He is a man born in 1993 and is already being prosecuted, reports Russian RBC television, citing a spokeswoman for the Russian Interior Ministry, Irina Volk.

"The suspect has already been transferred to police stations and It will later be handed over to the authorities investigating the case.” Volk explained.

The suspect, identified as Alexander Permiakov, would have confessed to working for the Ukrainian secret services, as reported by the Investigative Committee, the Russian federal police. In addition, a video was published with the confession.

“He has testified that he acted on the orders of the Ukrainian special services and that planted a bomb in the path of Zajar Prilepin's car that detonated by remote control," he said. Permiakov was recruited in 2018 by the Ukrainian secret services and went to Russia in 2022 to "assassinate and eliminate Zakhar Prilepin." “The method used is based on a remote-controlled explosion with two anti-tank mines. I am sorry for what I have done, ”he declared in the video.

Prilepin is co-chair of A Just Russia-For Truth, a coalition that emerged from the merger of several Russian center and center-left parties. He was also a member of the Russian National Bolshevik Party, now outlawed, and of the anti-Putin coalition The Other Russia.

In recent years he has actively participated in aid campaigns to Donbas and at the beginning of 2023 he signed a contract with the Russian Guard to travel to Ukrainian soil to participate in military operations.

The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation described the attempt on the life of the writer as a terrorist act while the spokeswoman for Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova pointed directly to the United States and Ukraine for the incident.

“The fact has come true. Washington and NATO have fed another international terrorist cell: the kyiv regime. First it was Al Qaeda, then Islamic State and now the thugs of (Russian President Volodimir) Zelensky. It is the responsibility of the United States and the United Kingdom. We pray for Zajar”, asserted.

A subsequent statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry confirms the accusation. "The responsibility for this and other terrorist attacks lies with Ukraine, but also with its Western patrons, mainly the United States, which have nurtured the neo-Nazi project in Ukraine since the February 2014 coup."the Ministry said in a statement.

It should be remembered that, since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, they have died in attacks Daria Duginadaughter of nationalist ideologue Alexander Dugin, and military blogger Vladlen Tatarski, in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, respectively.