Russian General Killed in Car Bomb Attack Near Moscow

A Russian general was killed by a car bomb on Friday, Russia's top criminal investigation agency said, in the second such attack on a top Russian military officer in four months that Moscow blamed on Ukraine.

Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, a deputy head of the main operational department in the General Staff of the Russian armed forces, was killed by an explosive device placed in his car in Balashikha, just outside Moscow, according to the Investigative Committee.

The committee's spokesperson, Svetlana Petrenko, said that the explosive device was rigged with shrapnel and investigators were at the scene.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Ukrainian intelligence agencies of involvement in a statement, saying "there are reasons to believe that Ukrainian special services were involved in the killing."

Zakharova added: "If the investigation confirms the Ukrainian trace in this case, this will once again demonstrate to the world community the barbaric and treacherous nature of the Kyiv regime, which is betting on an escalation of military confrontation with Russia and irresponsibly ignoring constructive proposals aimed at finding a peaceful solution to the conflict."

Ukrainian authorities did not comment on the attack.

This follows the killing of Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov on Dec. 17, 2024, when a bomb hidden on an electric scooter parked outside his apartment building exploded as he left for his office. Russian authorities also blamed Ukraine and Ukraine's security agency acknowledged it was behind the attack.