Support The Moscow Times!

Renegade Ex-Lawmaker Ponomaryov Survives Drone Attack in Ukraine

Ilya Ponomarev. t.me/operativnoZSU

Former State Duma lawmaker turned opposition figure Ilya Ponomaryov was injured in a drone strike at his home outside the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Thursday, in what appears to have been an assassination attempt.

“Today seems to be my second birthday,” Ponomaryov wrote on X (formerly Twitter), claiming that the aerial attack marked the fifth time he has survived an attempt on his life.

Ponomaryov was the only State Duma lawmaker to vote against Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea. He went into exile in 2016 after being charged with embezzlement, and since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he has called for the violent overthrow of President Vladimir Putin.

The Ukrainian news website Obozrevatel published a photo of the ex-lawmaker, whose face and chest were covered in blood. Law enforcement authorities also released photos of a three-story house they said was targeted in the overnight attack but did not mention its owner.

Obozrevatel, citing anonymous sources, reported that Ponomaryov’s home was targeted by three drones the previous night. Air defense systems allegedly shot down those drones, which caused “insignificant” damage.

However, this time a drone exploded “five meters from the main entrance door,” the outlet reported, adding that “Ponomaryov is safe and under protection now.”

Ukrainian military officials said earlier that a man and a woman were hospitalized after being injured by drone debris in the latest Russian strikes following a large-scale barrage the previous night.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more