Assassination of Russia

Assassination of Russia (also known as Blowing up Russia) is a 2002 documentary film that describes the September 1999 Russian apartment bombings as a terrorism act committed by Russian state security services.

The film was created in 2001 by French producers Jean-Charles Deniau and Charles Gazelle. Yuri Felshtinsky and Alexander Litvinenko worked as consultants for the film; the film was made on the basis of their book Blowing Up Russia: Terror from Within.

The French producers initially worked for Russian TV company NTV to expand their program "Sugar of Ryazan" and later to TV-6. When TV-6 channel was closed by Russian authorities, the film was 70% completed. The remained of funds was provided by Boris Berezovsky.

Leader of party Liberal Russia, Sergei Yushenkov flew to the premier on March 5, 2002 in London, to announce that his party is going to distribute copies of the film around the country to demonstrate "how the secret services deceived Russian citizens".

This film was broadcast by the main TV channels of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Russian Deputy Yuli Rybakov brought a hundred copies to St. Petersburg, but the copies were confiscated at customs in violation of his parliamentary immunity. No TV station in Russia was able to show the film. Tens of thousands of copies were sold in Russia in 2002. Sergei Yushenkov presented the film at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in 2002, decrying lack of civilian control over the Russian armed forces including the secret services. A staffer in Senate Foreign Relations Committee said, "We just cannot go out and say that the president of Russia is a mass murderer. But it is important that we know it."