Russian general Yaroslav Moskalik killed in car bomb attack outside Moscow, Kremlin points to Kyiv

Russian general killed in car bomb; Russia blames Ukrainian special services. (Video Grab)

A senior Russian general, Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik killed in a car bomb blast on Friday, according to Russia’s top investigative body, marking the second such attack on high-ranking military personnel in four months, both of which Moscow has blamed on Ukraine.

The Investigative Committee confirmed that Lieutenant General Yaroslav, a deputy head of the main operational department of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces, died after an explosive device detonated in his car in Balashikha, a suburb just east of Moscow.

Russian Major General Yaroslav Moskalik killed in car IED blast in Moscow region, coinciding with Witkoff's visit to capital He was Deputy Chief of Main Operations Directorate of General Staff of Russian Armed Forces https://t.co/jKUy4zrBTW pic.twitter.com/xRiM2gFnVl RT (@RT_com) April 25, 2025

Svetlana Petrenko, spokesperson for the Investigative Committee, stated that the device was fitted with shrapnel. "Investigators are working at the scene," she said.

Footage shared by Russian media showed a vehicle engulfed in flames in the courtyard of a residential building.

While the committee has not formally identified any suspects, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova pointed the finger at Ukraine. “There are reasons to believe that Ukrainian special services were involved in the killing,” Zakharova said, without providing evidence.

Ukrainian officials have not commented on the incident.

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.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov echoed her accusations, telling state television journalist Pavel Zarubin that Ukraine “continues its involvement in terrorist activity on our soil.” He, too, did not offer supporting evidence.

This attack follows the killing of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov on 17 December 2024, when a bomb concealed within an electric scooter exploded outside his flat as he was leaving for work. Russian authorities blamed Ukraine, and Kyiv’s security services later claimed responsibility.

Kirillov had led Russia’s Radiation, Biological and Chemical Protection Forces. His aide was also killed in that incident.

Friday’s bombing occurred while U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, was in Moscow for his fourth round of talks with President Vladimir Putin since February, focused on a U.S.-brokered peace initiative for Ukraine.