Three people lost their lives in an explosion in Moscow on Wednesday, including two police officers. This incident occurred just days after a car bomb killed a high-ranking general in the same vicinity. According to the Investigative Committee of Russia, the two officers were approaching a “suspicious individual” when the explosive device detonated, resulting in their deaths along with one nearby civilian.
The spokesperson for the Investigative Committee, Svetlana Petrenko, confirmed the fatalities and noted that investigators and forensic experts are currently examining the site of the explosion. This tragic event unfolded in southern Moscow, the same area where Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov was killed on Monday morning. Sarvarov, who led the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces’ General Staff, died when an explosive device detonated beneath his vehicle.
Russian authorities are exploring the possibility that Ukraine was involved in the attack on Sarvarov, marking it as the third assassination of a senior military officer in just over a year. On December 17, 2024, Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, head of the military’s nuclear, biological, and chemical protection forces, was killed by a bomb hidden on an electric scooter outside his apartment. His assistant also died in that attack. Following the incident, an Uzbek man was arrested and charged with the murder on behalf of Ukraine’s security services.
The wave of violence continued in April 2023, when another senior Russian military officer, Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, was killed by an explosive device placed in his car parked near his residence just outside Moscow. Authorities swiftly arrested a suspect in that case as well.
Since Russia began its military operations in Ukraine nearly four years ago, Russian officials have attributed several high-profile assassinations of military officers and public figures to Ukrainian operatives. While Ukraine has claimed responsibility for some of these attacks, the situation remains highly contentious, with ongoing investigations into the recent incidents.
As the investigation into Wednesday’s explosion progresses, the implications of these attacks on Russian military personnel continue to reverberate within the broader context of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The authorities are under pressure to enhance security measures, particularly in light of the recent targeted assaults on top military officials.
