MOSCOW, February 28. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin was "immediately informed of [opposition politician] Boris Nemtsov’s murder in Moscow," and "the head of state instructed heads of the Russian Investigative Committee, Interior Ministry and Federal Security Service to establish an investigative group and personally control the course of the crime’s investigation," Putin’s spokesman said Saturday.
"Putin noted that the violent murder bears the marks of a contract killing and is purely provocative," Dmitry Peskov said.
"The Russian president expresses deep condolences to the near and dear of Boris Nemtsov who died tragically," Peskov said.