MOSCOW, December 23./TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he closely follows the course of investigation into the murder of Boris Nemtsov and supports all that the investigation does to reveal all circumstances of the criminal case.

"Or course I monitor all the so-called high-profile cases, all the more such a serious crime as murder, in this case the murder of Boris Nemtsov," the president said at his annual news conference.

"Of course, I support all that the investigation does towards revealing all circumstances, finding all those involved and guilty," Putin stressed.

In reply to the query about high-profile cases, especially corruption cases, the president said there was nothing surprising that some officials, including in law enforcement agencies, could violate law or commit grave crimes. "This happens, unfortunately, pretty often in our country and abroad," he said. "Taking for example this awful tragedy with the killing of our ambassador in Turkey. Who killed him?" the president asked.

He mentioned, in particular, the murder of State Duma deputy Galina Starovoitova in St.Petersburg and other cases. "Unfortunately, still unclear are all circumstances of the murder of (deputy governor of St. Petersburg) Mikhail Manevich, with whom we had very a good and personal relationship," he went on.

Manevich was gunned down on August 18, 1997 in his service car near the house where he lived, as the car was driving onto the central Nevsky Avenue. A Kalashnikov gun was found on the attic floor of a house on the opposite side of the thoroughfare.