The daughter of a major ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin was murdered in an explosion on the outskirts of Moscow.

Daria Dugina, 29, was driving a Toyota Land Cruiser when it detonated on Sunday. Russia's authorities have initiated a criminal probe.

She was the daughter of Alexander Dugin, dubbed "Putin's brain." Dugin is a well-known Russian nationalist philosopher whose vision of a resurrected Russian empire influenced Putin's conflict in neighboring Ukraine.

Dugin was sanctioned by the West as a significant supporter of the Kremlin's 2014 invasion of Crimea from Ukraine. He also supported Russia's move earlier this year to deploy soldiers into Ukraine.