Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov shot dead in Moscow

A leading Russian opposition politician, former Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov, has been shot dead in Moscow, Russian officials say.

An unidentified attacker shot Mr Nemtsov four times in central Moscow, a source in the law enforcement bodies told Russia's Interfax news agency. He was reportedly shot near the Kremlin while walking with a woman.

He died just before a march in Moscow against the war in Ukraine which he was actively promoting. Mr Putin has condemned the killing, a Kremlin spokesman told news agencies. Mr Nemtsov, 55, served as first Deputy Prime Minister under the late President Boris Yeltsin in the 1990s.

US President Barack Obama condemned the brutal murder of Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, and called for a full investigation into the killing. With Nemtsov's death, Obama said, Russians have lost one of the most dedicated and eloquent defenders of their rights.