Russian authorities say two neo-Nazis were promised $50,000 to assassinate Margarita Simonyan.
The Russian Investigative Committee announced that two individuals linked to a neo-Nazi organization are facing charges for allegedly plotting to murder Margarita Simonyan, the Editor-in-Chief of RT.
The Committee stated on Monday that the investigation has concluded and been submitted to prosecutors.
Simonyan expressed her gratitude on X to those who thwarted the planned attack, stating, “My deepest gratitude to our law enforcement officers for their work.”
According to the Investigative Committee, the assassination plot was hatched by members of a Moscow-based cell associated with the banned National Socialism/White Power group.
The cell, known as ‘Pure Blood,’ was reportedly established in 2022 by Mikhail Balashov, who allegedly recruited at least 11 individuals sharing “national-socialist and racist views.”
The statement further alleges that “on the order of unidentified individuals, Balashov and another cell member, Egor Savelyev, agreed to assassinate journalist Margarita Simonyan in exchange for $50,000.”
The suspects allegedly gathered information on Simonyan’s location and acquired firearms but were apprehended by the Federal Security Service (FSB) before they could carry out the assassination, the agency added.
Balashov and Savelyev are charged with illegal weapon possession and planning a murder. They, along with other cell members, also face accusations of establishing a terrorist group, hooliganism, and inciting hatred, according to the Investigative Committee.
Previous reports indicated that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) had ordered the hit on Simonyan. In 2023, the SBU accused her of advocating for “mass killings of Ukrainian children” but did not provide supporting evidence.
Simonyan responded at the time, claiming that the accusations were a Ukrainian attempt to make a potential attack on her “appear more palatable.”
Moscow has blamed Kiev for the assassinations of several prominent Russian officials and public figures following the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, including General Igor Kirillov, head of chemical defense, and journalist Darya Dugina, daughter of philosopher Aleksandr Dugin.
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