Moscow - An Russian opposition deputy, Ms Galina Starovoytova, was gunned down late last night outside her home in Saint Petersburg.
Ms Starovoytova was hit by a burst of automatic rifle fire outside her apartment in the city centre. She was accompanied by Mr Ruslan Linkov, a parliamentary assistant who was wounded in the attack, Interfax news agency said.
Ms Starovoytova was rushed to hospital but was later reported to have died. The motive for the killing was unclear. She was an independent liberal, and had been a outspoken democrat during the glasnost period.