A senior Russian general, Gen Yaroslav Moskalik, has been confirmed dead following a devastating car bomb attack in Moscow. The incident was reported by Russia's Investigative Committee (SK), which serves as the main federal investigating authority in the country. According to officials, Gen Moskalik died when an improvised explosive device (IED), packed with pellets, detonated in a Volkswagen Golf parked near his residence in the eastern suburb of Balashikha.
Local media sources revealed that the explosion occurred as Gen Moskalik walked past the parked vehicle. In response to the attack, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova labeled the incident a terrorist attack, although she did not provide additional details. The incident has sparked significant concern and speculation regarding security in the region.
Gen Moskalik was notably involved in representing Russia's General Staff during discussions with Ukraine in Paris in 2015, which ultimately led to the Minsk agreements aimed at ceasing hostilities between Ukraine and Russian-backed separatist forces that began in 2014. He participated in these crucial ceasefire talks alongside high-profile officials, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and former Russian ambassador to the US, Yuri Ushakov.
Following the attack, videos and images emerged on the messaging platform Telegram, showing the burning vehicle outside an apartment complex. As of now, no group has claimed responsibility for the car bomb explosion. It is noteworthy that, in accordance with their policy, Ukraine does not officially admit or take responsibility for specific targeted attacks, such as the one that resulted in Gen Moskalik's death. However, unnamed sources within Ukrainian security services have previously indicated to various media outlets, including the BBC, that they were involved in similar operations, like the assassination of Gen Igor Kirillov in December 2024.
The environment in Russia seems to lack a coherent force capable of executing such targeted attacks. This incident unfolds as US President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin for discussions in central Moscow later today. Lavrov has previously expressed Moscow's willingness to negotiate a deal with the US to conclude the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, although he noted that some elements of the agreement still require refinement.
Meanwhile, in Ukraine, Kyiv's mayor, Vitali Klitschko, has suggested that the country might need to concede some territory as part of any potential peace deal. The conflict continues to escalate, as evidenced by recent drone attacks on Ukraine. Reports indicate that overnight into Friday, Russia launched 103 drones, resulting in the deaths of three individuals, including a child and a 76-year-old woman, in the town of Pavlohrad, located in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region. The northeastern city of Kharkiv also faced assaults, with its mayor, Ihor Terekhov, reporting damage to several private buildings.
