News - World: Russia says it has thwarted an assassination plot against Konstantin Malofeev, a nationalist Russian tycoon, alleging that a Ukraine-backed far-right group was behind the foiled attempt.

In a statement on Monday, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said that it managed to foil a "Ukraine-backed" car bomb attack against 48-year-old Malofeev, a Kremlin-linked businessman and an ardent advocate of the current war in Ukraine.

"The Federal Security Service has thwarted an attempt on the life of a public figure, chairman of the board of directors of the Tsargrad group of companies, Konstantin Malofeev," said the FSB, Russia's main domestic intelligence agency.

It said the remote-controlled homemade bomb had been attached to the underside of a car used by the prominent tycoon.

"The act of terrorism was planned to be carried out by detonating a home-made explosive device attached under Malofeev's car," it said.

Moreover, an FSB video, shared by Russia's Zvezda TV channel, appeared to show a man approaching a parked vehicle and briefly reaching under it. In another video, a robot was shown appearing to remove an object from under the car.

According to the statement, the murder plot had purportedly been orchestrated by Denis Kapustin, the alleged founder of the Russian Volunteer Corps.

Last week, the group claimed they had managed to breach Russia's borders in the southern region of Bryansk.

The FSB further alleged that Kapustin, born in 1984, now lives in Ukraine, takes orders from Kiev's security services and fights against Russian troops in their war against Ukrainian forces.

There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.

The FSB added that the so-called murder plot resembled that of the killing last August of Daria Dugina, the daughter of thinker and Kremlin supporter, Alexander Dugin.

Moscow, at the time, accused Ukraine's secret services of being behind the of Daria, who was at an event with her father outside Moscow that was also attended by the attacker. Kiev has denied any involvement in the attack.

Source: Press TV