Two individuals affiliated with a neo-Nazi group have been charged with attempting to assassinate Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of RT. According to the Russian Investigative Committee, the plot was organized by a Moscow-based cell of the banned National Socialism/White Power group. The group, known as ‘Pure Blood,’ was founded in 2022 by Mikhail Balashov, who recruited at least 11 members with nationalist and racist beliefs. The suspects were planning to kill Simonyan for a $50,000 reward, but were apprehended by the Federal Security Service (FSB) before the attack could be carried out. The suspects have been charged with illegal weapon possession, preparation for murder, and founding a terrorist group. The case highlights the growing threat of far-right extremism in Russia.
Simonyan posted on X expressing her gratitude to the law enforcement officers who thwarted the attack. In an earlier statement, she said that the false accusations from the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) were an attempt to make a potential hit on her appear more acceptable. The SBU had accused Simonyan of calling for the mass killings of Ukrainian children in 2023, but failed to provide any evidence to support the claim. Russia has accused Kiev of the assassinations of several prominent Russian officials and public figures since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict, including chemical defense chief General Igor Kirillov and journalist Darya Dugina, the daughter of philosopher Aleksandr Dugin.