May 08, 2023

Pro-war Journalist Targeted, Again


Pro-war Journalist Targeted, Again
The car of Zakhar Prilepin after the explosion. Povyornutye na Z voine, Telegram.

Pro-War journalist, writer, and politician Zakhar Prilepin's car exploded near Nizhny Novgorod while returning from the occupied territories of Luhansk and Donetsk. Prilepin's bodyguard, a former member of Russian battalions in Luhansk, Alexander Shubin, died, while the 47-year-old author was critically injured. Prilepin's daughter, who was also in the car, got out before the bomb exploded.

After leaving his job as a riot police officer for OMON (Special Purpose Mobile Unit), Prilepin joined a Nizhny Novgorod newspaper as a staff writer. Then, he published several acclaimed novels. Yet the author's oeuvre also includes the antisemitic essay published in 2012, "A Letter to Comrade Stalin."

Prilepin openly boasted of killing Ukrainians while volunteering as a soldier in Donetsk in 2017. Consequently, he was declared a terrorist by the Ukrainian government. A founder of the "For Truth" party, he has supported Russia's War on Ukraine since day one. 

The attack echoes that on pro-Kremlin journalist Darya Dugina in 2022. A bomb was planted on Prilepin's car while the politician was grabbing lunch with his bodyguard. 

Police have detained a suspect in Nizhny Novgorod. According to Izvestia, the man recently acquired Russian citizenship, but it has not been confirmed whether he is originally from Ukraine. Atesh, a military movement of Ukrainians, Crimean Tatars, and Russians, has claimed responsibility for the bombing via Telegram.

Meanwhile, Prilepin had announced he was running for president in 2024, raising eyebrows at the Kremlin. 

 

You Might Also Like

Kara-Murza Sentenced to 25 Years
  • April 17, 2023

Kara-Murza Sentenced to 25 Years

Journalist and democratic activist Vladimir Kara-Murza has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for telling the truth.
Masha, The War Criminal
  • March 22, 2023

Masha, The War Criminal

The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Maria Lvova-Belova. Who is she?
Airwaves Hacked, Again
  • March 12, 2023

Airwaves Hacked, Again

A new hack into Russian radio and television stations reveals a vulnerable spot in the nation's airwaves.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
How Russia Got That Way

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.
Russian Rules

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.
Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 
Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

Life Stories: Original Fiction By Russian Authors

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.
A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
The Moscow Eccentric

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955