Life Sentence in High-Profile Russian Writer Assassination Attempt

A military court in Moscow sentenced Alexander Permyakov to life imprisonment for attempting to assassinate Russian nationalist writer Zakhar Prilepin in a car bombing in May 2023. Permyakov confessed to acting under the instructions of Ukraine's SBU and was promised $20,000. Prilepin sustained leg injuries while his driver was killed.

A military court in Moscow handed down a life sentence to Alexander Permyakov on Monday, convicting him of an attempt to assassinate prominent Russian nationalist writer Zakhar Prilepin in a car bombing last year, according to the Interfax news agency.

Permyakov, a dual Russian-Ukrainian passport holder, was apprehended shortly after the May 2023 attack, which occurred near Nizhny Novgorod. The explosion left Prilepin with broken legs and killed his driver.

Confessing to the crime, Permyakov claimed he had been acting on orders from Ukraine's SBU security service, who promised him $20,000. The SBU has not confirmed its involvement. Notably, Prilepin, a vocal supporter of the Ukraine war, is among several Russian pro-war figures targeted in recent bomb attacks.

(With inputs from agencies.)