Forensic experts and police officers examine the scene following the killing of former Russian lawmaker Denis Voronenkov in Kiev, Ukraine, on March 23, 2017. (Sergei Chuzavkov/AP)A former Russian member of parliament who defected to Ukraine and began sharply criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin was gunned down Thursday in downtown Kiev in an apparent contract killing. But Russia’s critics were likely to draw parallels between the slaying and the deaths of other Putin foes. Before fleeing Russia, Voronenkov was the target of a fraud investigation. On Thursday, a gunman opened fire at Voronenkov and his bodyguard outside of the hotel, where he was on his way to meet another former Russian member of parliament in exile, Ilya Ponomarev.

Source: Washington Post March 23, 2017 11:08 UTC