A senior Russian military officer, Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik, was killed in a car explosion in Balashikha, near Moscow. The Investigative Committee of Russia stated that a homemade explosive device caused the blast and opened a criminal investigation.
Reports suggest a bomb in a parked car was detonated remotely as the officer walked by. Video footage of the explosion was released, and some reports indicate a second person died in the incident. Maria Zakharova, Russia's foreign ministry spokesperson, labeled the event a "terrorist attack."
Lieutenant General Moskalik was the deputy head of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. He participated in high-level delegations, notably the Normandy Format talks concerning the conflict in Ukraine.
The incident follows a pattern of assassinations of high-ranking Russian military figures since the start of the war in Ukraine. While no group has claimed responsibility, Moscow has previously blamed Kyiv for such operations. The timing, just hours before a Kremlin meeting, has added to the intrigue.
The investigation is ongoing, and further details are awaited. The SBU, Ukraine's intelligence service, was contacted but did not immediately respond to requests for comment.