Dashcam Clue To Boris Nemtsov Shooting

Video has emerged of the Great Moskovoretsky bridge in Moscow purportedly filmed moments after outspoken Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov was murdered last Friday night.

The footage, shot with a dashcam inside a car travelling across the bridge, was made available on Wednesday by a journalist working for radio station Ekho Moskvy.

It shows the car being driven near the pavement and passing two pedestrians.

It overtakes another vehicle which pulls in front of it from the left and goes past the apparent murder scene.

For a few seconds a white car is seen parked just behind a stationary lorry, and the footage then shows what appear to be the shadows of several other people walking across the bridge.

The video is significant as all the CCTV cameras in the area were either "being repaired" or were "turned the wrong way" at the time of Mr Nemtsov’s murder.

Russian journalist Tonia Samsonova said on Wednesday it had been given to her by the owner of the car and was made available to broadcasters with the individual's full consent.

Ms Samsonova added a copy had also been handed to the Russian Investigative Committee in charge of tracking down Mr Nemtsov's killers.

Reuters news agency says it has not been possible to independently verify the authenticity of the video.

Mr Nemtsov, 55, a former deputy prime minister, was shot dead as he was walking with a companion near Red Square.

He was the most prominent opposition figure to be killed in Russia during president Vladimir Putin's 15 years in office.

Mr Putin said on Wednesday the murder had brought disgrace on Russia, and warned against a rise in "extremist crime".

"We must pay the greatest attention to crimes that prompt a major reaction, including those that are politically charged," he told interior ministry officials at a televised meeting.

"We must rid Russia of disgrace and tragedies like the one we just saw… the audacious murder of Boris Nemtsov right in the centre of the capital."

The Kremlin has denied any involvement in the killing, saying it was a "provocation" designed to discredit Mr Putin and strengthen his opponents.

However, Mr Nemtsov's friends say the Kremlin is to blame for fomenting an atmosphere of hatred towards its opponents.

No arrests have been made, although the director of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) says a number of suspects have been identified.

Russian news agencies reported investigators were seeking a car that may be connected to the finance ministry.

The ministry said in a statement the car, a Ford, did not belong to it but was owned by a state enterprise that provides security for government institutions.

The vehicle drove past the spot where Mr Nemtsov was shot after police had arrived at the scene, the statement said.