It was Vladimir Lenin who once famously said that "the purpose of terrorism is to terrorise." Few doubt that the gunning down in a Moscow Street of Boris Nemtsov, one of Russia's most outspoken opposition leaders, was aimed at doing just that.

But if Nemtsov's death had the purpose of creating terror, the question that follows is just who wanted to create it? Nemtsov was one of the few major Russian political figures who has dared to criticise President Vladimir Putin's annexation of Crimea and Moscow's support for the separatists in eastern Ukraine. That his death came just two days before he was set to lead one of the largest opposition rallies against the Moscow's support for the separatists has led some to speculate that the gunmen may have come from their ranks. Frankly though, its hard to imagine the separatists would have dared such an act without explicit permission from the Kremlin.

That alone has given rise to some speculation those very separatists might have been behind Nemtsov's death. Frankly though, its hard to imagine that they would have dared such an act without explicit permission from the Kremlin

been enough to raise speculation

That his death came just two days before he was set to lead one of the largest opposition rallies in Russia to protest the Kremlin only adds to the belief shared by many that the hand of Vladimir Putin was behind Nemtsov's killing.

promised the mother of murdered opposition politician Boris Nemtsov on Saturday that everything will be done to find and punish her son's killers

One of Russia's most outspoken opposition leaders, Boris Nemtsov, was fatally shot on the streets of Moscow the night of Feb. 27 - two days before he was set to lead one of the largest opposition rallies in Russia to protest the Kremlin