The Assassination of Boris Nemtsov

Moscow, Russia · 2015

solved Terrorism / extremism February 27, 2015

Perpetrator

Zaur Dadayev

A former officer of the Sever (North) Battalion, a Chechen security force loyal to regional head Ramzan Kadyrov. He was convicted in 2017 as the gunman who shot Nemtsov. Dadayev initially confessed but later retracted, claiming the admission was coerced. He was sentenced to 20 years in a penal colony.

Victim

Boris Nemtsov (55)

Location

Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge, near the Kremlin, Moscow, Russia

Summary

Russian opposition leader and former deputy prime minister Boris Nemtsov was shot dead on a Moscow bridge near the Kremlin in February 2015.

Details

Boris Nemtsov, a prominent liberal opposition politician and outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin, was shot four times in the back on the Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge as he walked home with his companion late on 27 February 2015. He died at the scene, within sight of the Kremlin. In 2017, a Moscow court convicted five Chechen men, with Zaur Dadayev identified as the gunman and sentenced to 20 years. Critics and Nemtsov's family have long maintained that those who ordered the killing were never identified or brought to justice.

Background

Boris Yefimovich Nemtsov (1959-2015) was one of Russia's most prominent opposition politicians and a fierce critic of President Vladimir Putin. A physicist by training, Nemtsov rose to national prominence in the 1990s as governor of the Nizhny Novgorod region, and in 1997 President Boris Yeltsin appointed him First Deputy Prime Minister, where he was once seen as a potential successor to Yeltsin.

After the rise of Vladimir Putin, Nemtsov became a leading figure in the liberal opposition. He co-founded movements such as the Union of Right Forces and later RPR-PARNAS, organized protests, and authored reports alleging high-level corruption. He was an outspoken critic of the Kremlin's policies, including its involvement in Ukraine following the 2014 annexation of Crimea, and at the time of his death he was reportedly preparing a report on Russian military participation in the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

The Assassination

On the night of 27 February 2015, Nemtsov was walking home with his companion, Ukrainian model Anna Duritskaya, after dining at a restaurant in central Moscow. As the pair crossed the Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge, which lies just steps from the Kremlin and overlooks Red Square and Saint Basil's Cathedral, a gunman opened fire. Nemtsov was struck multiple times in the back and died at the scene. He was 55 years old.

The killing took place in one of the most heavily surveilled and policed areas of Moscow, a fact widely noted by commentators and investigators. Duritskaya was unharmed. The assassination drew immediate international condemnation and was followed by a large memorial march in Moscow, with tens of thousands of mourners gathering to honour Nemtsov.

Investigation and Arrests

Russian investigators identified a group of suspects from Chechnya within days. Several men were arrested, and the alleged triggerman was named as Zaur Dadayev, a former officer in the Sever (North) Battalion, a Chechen security unit linked to regional leader Ramzan Kadyrov. Dadayev initially appeared to confess but later retracted the statement, with his lawyers and supporters alleging that the confession had been obtained under duress or torture.

Investigators focused on a small group of accused men, most of them ethnic Chechens. Authorities suggested the killing may have been financially motivated, a characterization the Nemtsov family and opposition figures rejected as implausible. Critics argued that the investigation deliberately stopped short of identifying who ordered the murder, and that powerful figures who may have organized or sanctioned the killing were never pursued.

Trial and Conviction

In 2017, a Moscow jury convicted five men of involvement in the murder. Zaur Dadayev was found guilty of carrying out the shooting and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. The other defendants - reported to include Anzor Gubashev, Shadid Gubashev, Temirlan Eskerkhanov and Khamzat Bakhayev - received prison terms ranging from roughly 11 to 19 years for their roles in organizing and supporting the attack.

Throughout the trial the defendants maintained their innocence. The Nemtsov family, their lawyers, and human rights observers repeatedly stated that while the convicted men may have pulled the trigger and provided logistics, the people who ordered and paid for the assassination were never identified or charged. The trial was widely seen as having answered the question of who fired the shots but not the more important question of who was ultimately responsible.

Aftermath and Legacy

The assassination of Boris Nemtsov became a defining symbol of the dangers faced by opposition figures and critics in Russia. The spot on the Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge where he was killed became an informal memorial, with mourners regularly leaving flowers, candles and portraits. Authorities and municipal workers repeatedly cleared the memorial, and volunteers continued to restore it, turning the site into a recurring point of contention.

Internationally, Nemtsov's death prompted memorial acts including the renaming of public spaces. In 2018, the plaza outside the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C., was designated Boris Nemtsov Plaza. The case is frequently cited alongside other killings of Russian journalists and political opponents as emblematic of impunity for politically motivated violence. Many observers, including Nemtsov's allies and family, continue to call for an investigation into who ordered the killing, which they believe remains unresolved.

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Frequently asked questions

What was the The Assassination of Boris Nemtsov case?

Russian opposition leader and former deputy prime minister Boris Nemtsov was shot dead on a Moscow bridge near the Kremlin in February 2015.

Who was responsible for The Assassination of Boris Nemtsov?

Zaur Dadayev. A former officer of the Sever (North) Battalion, a Chechen security force loyal to regional head Ramzan Kadyrov. He was convicted in 2017 as the gunman who shot Nemtsov. Dadayev initially confessed but later retracted, claiming the admission was coerced. He was sentenced to 20 years in a penal colony.

Who were the victims of the The Assassination of Boris Nemtsov case?

The named victims were Boris Nemtsov.

Where and when did the The Assassination of Boris Nemtsov case take place?

It took place in Moscow, Russia in 2015.

Was the The Assassination of Boris Nemtsov case solved?

This case is recorded as solved.

Sources & further reading

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