Beirut: Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Rudakov marked the fourth anniversary of the assassination of Russian journalist Daria Dugina, paying tribute to her legacy and to journalists who have lost their lives while carrying out their work.
According to National News Agency - Lebanon, in a commentary marking the August 20, 2022 car bombing near Moscow that killed the 29-year-old journalist, Rudakov said the Russian investigation had established that the attack was "a terrorist operation prepared and executed by Ukrainian special services." He accused Western capitals and international institutions of failing to condemn Dugina's killing, while saying that Russian journalists and correspondents continued to be targeted.
Rudakov described Dugina as a journalist and thinker who wrote about history, culture, and broader civilizational trends, saying she firmly believed in the significance of ideas, convictions, and "objective truth." Drawing a parallel with Lebanon, the ambassador said the country was well acquainted with the heavy toll borne by journalists, citing reporters killed from the "martyrs of 1916" through the civil war and military conflicts in southern Lebanon.
He also referred to Russian media personnel, saying RT journalists had been wounded in southern Lebanon only months ago while clearly identified as members of the press. "Daria Dugina's death is part of this larger wound," Rudakov said, arguing that attempts to silence journalists could not erase their legacy.
"On this anniversary, we remember a young woman who loved her country and believed that words matter greatly," he concluded. "We remember every journalist, Lebanese, Russian, or any other, who paid the same price. And we affirm that the work of bearing witness, professionally and passionately, will go on."