Three individuals, including two police officers, lost their lives in an explosion in Moscow on Wednesday, Russian investigators confirmed. This tragic incident occurred just days after a car bomb killed a senior military officer, casting a shadow over security in the capital.
The two officers were responding to a report of a “suspicious individual” when an explosive device detonated. According to Svetlana Petrenko, spokesperson for the Investigative Committee, both officers and one civilian bystander died as a result of the blast. Forensic teams are currently examining the scene to determine the nature of the explosive used.
This explosion took place in the same vicinity where Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces’ General Staff, was killed by a car bomb on Monday morning. Sarvarov’s vehicle was targeted with an explosive device, leading to his death and raising alarms about ongoing threats to military personnel in the region.
Investigators are currently probing the possibility that Ukraine may be implicated in both incidents. This explosion marks the third assassination of a high-ranking military officer in Russia within just over a year. In December 2024, Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, responsible for the military’s nuclear, biological, and chemical protection forces, was killed by an explosive device concealed on an electric scooter outside his home. His assistant also perished in that attack, which Ukraine’s security service claimed responsibility for. An Uzbek national was arrested and charged with aiding in that assassination.
In April, another senior officer, Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, was killed by an explosive device planted in his vehicle near his residence. Authorities apprehended a suspect shortly after that attack. Since the onset of military operations in Ukraine nearly four years ago, Russian officials have consistently attributed several high-profile assassinations of military and public figures in Russia to Ukrainian operatives. While Ukraine has claimed responsibility for some attacks, the ongoing violence continues to escalate tensions between both nations.
As investigations into the recent explosion proceed, the implications of these attacks highlight the precarious security situation in Russia, particularly concerning military personnel. The Russian government may face increased pressure to enhance protective measures for its officials as public concern grows over the frequency and severity of these incidents.
