Three people, including two police officers, lost their lives in an explosion in Moscow on Wednesday, according to Russian investigators. The incident occurred just days after a car bomb killed a high-ranking military official nearby. The officers were responding to a report of a “suspicious individual” when the explosive device detonated, as stated by Svetlana Petrenko, spokesperson for the Investigative Committee of Russia.
The two traffic police officers and a civilian standing close to the scene succumbed to their injuries following the blast. Forensic experts are currently examining the site, which is located in the same area where Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov was assassinated on Monday by a car bomb. Sarvarov, who served as the head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces’ General Staff, was killed when an explosive device detonated under his vehicle in southern Moscow.
Authorities have suggested that Ukraine may be involved in Sarvarov’s assassination. This incident marks the third such killing of a senior Russian military officer in just over a year. On December 17, 2024, Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, the chief of the military’s nuclear, biological, and chemical protection forces, was killed by a bomb concealed on an electric scooter outside his apartment building. Kirillov’s assistant also died in that attack. Following the incident, an Uzbek man was arrested and charged with the murder, allegedly acting on behalf of the Ukrainian security service.
In April, another senior military officer, Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, was killed by an explosive device planted in his vehicle parked near his residence just outside Moscow. A suspect was apprehended shortly after the attack.
Since the beginning of the military conflict in Ukraine nearly four years ago, Russian authorities have attributed several high-profile assassinations of military personnel and public figures to Ukraine. While Ukraine has claimed responsibility for some, there remains a complex narrative surrounding these events.
As tensions escalate, the recent string of attacks underscores a growing atmosphere of violence and instability in the region. With the ongoing conflict, the implications of these assassinations extend beyond individual tragedies, raising concerns about security and international relations.
