Nemstov killed to 'destabilize' Russia - now who could be behind something like that?

Medics carry the body of Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead, in central Moscow on Friday. | Photo: Reuters

Russia's president and opposition figures alike have described the killing of Boris Nemtsov as a “provocation.”

Russian president Vladimir Putin has expressed condolences to the family of one of his staunchest political rivals, who was gunned down in Moscow late Friday.

Prominent opposition figure Boris Nemtsov may have been shot at as many as eight times from a passing vehicle while crossing a bridge in central Moscow. At least four bullets struck him in the back, killing him almost instantly.

“Putin has stressed that this brutal murder has all (the) signs of a contract murder and is extremely provocative,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian media.

Peskov continued by stating, “The president has expressed his deep condolences to the family.”

Nemtsov was one of Russia's most well known politicians for more than two decades. According to RT, in recent years he had increasingly focused on his business affairs, though he had taken a firm public stance against Russia's handling of the conflict in neighboring Ukraine.

Prior to his death, Nemstov reportedly received a number of death threats.

"Boris periodically received anonymous threats on social networking sites... Boris was worried. He said he was under threat but never wanted additional security. (He said) if they want to kill (me) they will kill (me)," said another opposition politician, Ilya Yashin, according to Reuters.

One of Nemstov's political allies Irina Khakamada has described the killing a “provocation” carried out to destabilize Russia.

“It is definitely not beneficial to Putin and it is aimed at destabilizing everything,” Khakamada told RT.

According to Russia's Tass news agency, authorities have closed off the bridge where Nemstov was killed, and have already opened a criminal investigation treating the incident as murder. One of Russia's top investigative officials told the news agency the killing may have been a contract assassination, possibly planned well in advance.

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