A senior Russian military official, Major General Yaroslav Moskalik, was killed on Friday in a car bomb explosion in Balashikha, a town just east of Moscow, according to Russia’s Investigative Committee.
Moskalik, who served as deputy head of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, died when a homemade explosive device detonated near a parked car. Authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the incident.
“The explosion occurred as a result of the detonation of a homemade explosive device filled with destructive elements,” the Investigative Committee said, without identifying any suspects.
Several Russian military officials have been targeted in recent years, with Moscow frequently accusing Ukraine of orchestrating the attacks.
The Russian media outlet Baza, which often reports on security matters, said the device had been triggered remotely as Moskalik passed by the vehicle. Footage published by the Izvestia newspaper shows a figure approaching a row of parked cars followed by a blast that sent debris high into the air.
According to Kommersant, another individual was also killed in the explosion, though no official details have been released on the second victim.
Moskalik was a prominent figure in Russia’s military establishment. He had taken part in several high-level diplomatic missions, including the 2015 Normandy Format talks aimed at resolving the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Representing the General Staff at those negotiations, he joined Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov at meetings with representatives from Germany, France, and Ukraine.