Evidence for this hypothesis includes testimonies by former KGB agents who claim that Viktor Chebrikov gave the order to eradicate Tarkovsky to curtail what the Soviet government and the KGB saw as anti-Soviet propaganda by Tarkovsky.
ˈɛvɪdəns fɔːɹ ðɪs haɪpˈɑːθəsˌɪs ɪŋklˈuːdz tˈɛstᵻməniz baɪ fˈɔːɹmɚ kˌeɪdʒˌiːbˈiː ˈeɪdʒənts hˌuː klˈeɪm ðæt vˈɪktɚ tʃˈɛbɹɪkˌɑːv ɡˈeɪv ðɪ ˈɔːɹdɚ tʊ ɪɹˈædᵻkˌeɪt tɑːɹkˈɑːvski tə kɜːtˈeɪl wʌt ðə sˈoʊviət ɡˈʌvɚnmənt ænd ðə kˌeɪdʒˌiːbˈiː sˈɔː æz ˈæntaɪsˈoʊviət pɹˌɑːpɐɡˈændə baɪ tɑːɹkˈɑːvski.