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Russian colonel killed in car explosion in St. Petersburg
A Russian colonel was killed when his car exploded in St Petersburg’s Shushary district. The blast, reported to have been caused by a device attached beneath the vehicle, occurred as he was leaving a courtyard; it also led to a nearby road closure.
The incident follows a similar explosion on Kolpinskoye Highway on 27 August, which killed a lieutenant colonel while his wife survived. Fontanka reported that a 24-year-old Russian woman who later travelled to Turkey is suspected of planting the earlier bomb, but law enforcement agencies have not officially commented on the investigation.
In short
- A colonel died in a car explosion in St Petersburg.
- The device was reportedly attached beneath his car.
- The blast recalls a similar attack on 27 August.
Explained simply
St Petersburg is a major Russian city in the country’s north-west. Shushary is a district on its southern edge, where residential areas sit alongside industrial sites and busy roads.
The people mentioned are Russian military officers: a colonel and a lieutenant colonel are senior ranks. A previous car explosion in the same city killed a lieutenant colonel; reports about a suspected person in that case have not been confirmed publicly by law enforcement.
Explosions targeting military officers can raise questions about security and possible motives, but the available reports do not establish who was responsible or whether the incidents are connected.