A Russian military serviceman was killed when his car exploded in the Pushkinsky District of St. Petersburg, Russia’s Investigative Committee reported. The explosion occurred on November 12, and criminal proceedings for murder have been launched.
“Investigative authorities have opened a criminal case into the murder of a military serviceman,” the committee said in a statement.
The victim has not been officially identified, and Russian authorities have not announced his rank. According to the Fontanka news outlet, the deceased was a colonel. The claim has not been confirmed by an official source.
Investigators are examining the possibility of an explosive device under the car
Investigators, forensic experts and operational officers worked at the scene. Video footage showed a dark-blue sports car damaged by the blast, as well as debris scattered across the road. According to Fontanka, the explosive device was attached to the underside of the car and detonated remotely as the serviceman was leaving a courtyard. Reuters was unable to independently verify this information.
Fontanka also reported that the alleged perpetrator was a 31-year-old man who left Russia after the attack. The outlet claimed that he had monitored the car for at least a month. These details, as well as the information that the explosive device was transported from the Baltic states by balloon, have not been confirmed by Russian authorities and cannot be independently verified.
Another attack against a Russian military serviceman
The incident was the second car explosion in the same area in less than three months. On August 27, another Russian military serviceman was killed and his wife was seriously injured in a car explosion. In that investigation, Russian authorities have officially announced neither the victim’s name nor any progress in the search for a suspect.
Russia has blamed Ukraine for a number of previous attacks against Russian military personnel and individuals linked to the war. Ukrainian officials have claimed responsibility for some attacks but denied involvement in others. Kyiv did not immediately comment on the latest explosion in St. Petersburg.
Sources: reuters.com, theprint.in, apnews.com