St. Petersburg Car Blast Kills Russian Aerospace Forces Officer

A Russian Aerospace Forces colonel was killed when an explosive device detonated beneath his car in Shushary, a southern suburb of St Petersburg. The Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case, but the officer’s identity and the circumstances of the attack have not been disclosed.

The blast happened at about 7 a.m. on Thursday in the Pushkinsky district. Reports cited by local media say the device was attached to the car and exploded after the officer had driven around 300 metres from his home. Shushary was also the site of a military official’s death in a car explosion in August. Russia has blamed Ukraine for several attacks on military officers since its full-scale invasion, while Ukrainian sources have claimed responsibility for some and denied involvement in others.