Boris Vishnevsky’s blog on the Ekho Moskvy website, 28.02.2015

“With all due respect to the memory of Boris Nemtsov, in political terms he did not pose any threat to the current Russian leadership or Vladimir Putin. If we compare popularity levels, Putin’s and the government’s ratings and so on, in general Boris Nemtsov was just a little bit more than an average citizen”.

This is how Vladimir Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov answers the question whether the murder of Boris Nemtsov will do damage to Russia leadership’s reputation.

It’s not just cynicism.

It’s a complete calque of Vladimir Putin’s famous statement on the murder of Anna Politkovskaya in 2006:

“Politkovskaya was known within journalistic and human rights defending circles but her influence on the country’s political development was insignificant”.

History repeats itself. But not as a farce – as a tragedy…

Of course, the murder of Boris Nemtsov is politically motivated.

Of course, it is the consequence of the created atmosphere oh hatred towards opposition and all those who dare to disagree with the authorises and, moreover, oppose them. When the country is a besieged fortress, enemies are outside, traitors are inside.

This hatred was sparkled to launch an undeclared war with Ukraine.

Therefore Boris Nemtsov is another victim of this war.

Those who committed the crime might be found.

Those who ordered it – unlikely. Only when the leadership will change. As the case with the murder of Anna Politkovskaya.

I apologise to him for everything I could offend him with.

My condolences to his next of kin, his mother and friends in the first place.