Russian shot dead in Austria, police probe political motive

Police in Austria say they have detained a 47-year-old Russian man after a 43-year-old compatriot was shot dead near Vienna late Saturday in what Austrian media report is being considered a possible political assassination.

Austrian news agency APA reported the victim was an ethnic Chechen who had lived in Austria for more than a decade. The Kurier daily reported the victim was a critic of Ramzan Kadyrov, the authoritarian leader of Russia’s Chechnya region.

Lower Austria police said in a statement Sunday the suspect didn’t resist when he was detained by armed officers in Linz.

“The circumstances of the crime are unclear,” police said, but added that the investigation is being handled by regional anti-terrorism authorities.

German prosecutors have accused Russia of being behind the killing of an ethnic Chechen man in Berlin last year.