Soldatov, quoted in our live blog below, is an expert on Russia's intelligence services.
Live-stream of Nemtsov march
Our Russian Service is live-streaming the Nemtsov memorial march. People are beginning to gather now.
This about sums up the emptiness of "the CIA did it" conspiracy theorist argument that is gaining traction in Russia.
And, less than two days after Nemtsov's murder, pro-Kremlin tweeters say there's one person who needs unending affection today.
Here's the translation:
Today, he's in need of our support.
We support our president!
Putin, we believe in you!
We're with you!
According to Voronezh-based regional opposition leader Tolya Kravchenko, activists from the pro-Kremlin AniMaidan movement have disrupted a small antigovernment demonstration in the southwestern Russian city.
The provocateurs, dressed as Cossacks, splashed Zelyonka, a Soviet-era topical antiseptic, on the speakers.
"Highly prepared"
Andrei Soldatov, an expert on Russia's intelligence services and one of Russia's top investigative journalists, tells Bloomberg that Nemtsov's killers were "highly prepared."
The slaying of a high-profile target who was almost certainly under surveillance by security officials shows a high level of preparation, Soldatov said. The crime was executed in an area where there’s no place to park a car or ‘‘hide a killer,” suggesting the use of several teams and meticulous timing, he said.
“It’s all about logistics and coordination,” Soldatov said by phone on Saturday. “You need to have very highly prepared people. Most likely, war veterans with special training, hired professional killers or mid-level security service people.”
The Russian Communist party is holding a previously scheduled demonstration today as well, calling on Medvedev to resign (thereby blaming the country's economic problems on him, not Putin).
Some people there have told reporters they were paid to attend.
"I didn't really want to march under Soviet flags, but I need the money," says this young "protester."
Mikhail Khodorkovsky's Open Russia organization is preemptively providing information about legal help in the event that people get detained today.