Senior Russian general has been killed in a car bomb incident near Moscow, and an investigation is currently underway

Investigators believe the car explosion that killed a senior Russian general near Moscow was a targeted strike.

Russia’s Investigative Committee has verified that Major General Yaroslav Moskalik, a top Russian military officer, was murdered Friday in a car bomb explosion in the town of Balashikha, which is located just east of Moscow. A second unnamed person was also killed in the violent explosion, which is being investigated as a criminal case.

Moskalik held a crucial role in Russia’s military leadership as the deputy head of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. According to the Investigative Committee, a homemade explosive device loaded with destructive materials caused the incident. Authorities have not yet identified any suspects in the incident, but the culprits are still at large.

Moskalik was walking by a parked automobile close to his house when the incident, which was said to have been remotely detonated, happened. According to law enforcement officials cited by Russian news portal Baza, the device was placed inside the car and activated as Moskalik got closer. Izvestia’s video footage, which highlighted the explosion’s ferocity, showed the car parts being flung meters into the air.

Moskalik had taken part in a number of significant military and diplomatic discussions, such as the 2015 Normandy Format discussions, which brought together representatives from Russia, Ukraine, Germany, and France in an attempt to end the crisis in Eastern Ukraine. Alongside Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and senior Kremlin advisors, he participated in the Minsk peace talks as a member of the security subgroup.

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, targeted murders of senior military leaders have increased in frequency. A number of these occurrences have been attributed by Moscow to Ukrainian intelligence activities. A significant connection involved accusations that Ukrainian authorities used a bomb hidden in an electric scooter to plan the December assassination of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov.

The Security Service (SBU) of Ukraine has not yet responded to inquiries about Moskalik’s passing as of Friday night. Though observers anticipate that the incident would increase security measures and deepen Russia’s internal investigations amid growing fears of infiltration and targeted strikes within its borders, the Kremlin has also remained mute.