Russia's investigative committee offers insight into killing of pro-Russian Ukrainian leader

Russia's Investigative Committee is looking into the commercial activities of pro-Russian Ukrainian leader and head of public organization Oplot Yevgeny Zilin as the main motive behind his murder in Moscow on Monday. The Investigative Committee has not ruled out the possibility that the motive could have been a hostile relationship, but has prioritized investigating the business-related hypothesis.

The Investigative Committee has also established that Zilin's murderer was under disguise: he had a false mustache, a panama hat, and glasses with yellow lenses.

Yevgeny Zilin, leader of pro-Russian Ukrainian organization Oplot, was shot dead in a restaurant called Veterok on the Rublevo-Uspensky highway in Moscow on Monday. The killer left almost no evidence; even shells could not be found at the scene of the crime.

Zhilin and Oplot played an active role in the events in Kiev in the winter 2013-2014. In his own words, he helped to quell the "invasion of nationalists from the west of the country" through the use of violence, among other tactics. He was also involved in the conflict in eastern Ukraine on the side of separatists.

Zhilin was wanted in Ukraine.