Top Russian general assassinated in Moscow car bomb, as footage shows devastating explosion outside block of flats
by Kit Heren · LBCBy Kit Heren
A senior Russian general has been killed in a car bomb outside a block of flats in Moscow.
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Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik, who was a senior officer within the strategy unit of the Russian armed forces, was blown up on Friday in the Balashikha suburb of the Russian capital.
Russian state prosecutors have launched an investigation into Mr Moskalik's death, which they said was caused by a home-made explosive device.
No one has claimed responsibility for the bomb.
Russian outlet Baza, known to have links to the security services, said that the Volkswagen was detonated remotely when Moskalik - who lived locally - walked past.
Footage of the incident shows a car exploding in a large fireball outside the residential block at around 10.40am local time (7.40am in the UK).
Windows of neighbouring flats were blown out by the blast.
Some reports have claimed that two people were killed in the explosion, although this has not been confirmed either.
The area where the bomb went off was built specifically for retired military officers, Russian media report.
The Volkswagen does not appear to have belonged to Moskalik. Its last owner seems to have been a Ukrainian man from the border town of Sumy.
It comes as Russia continues to bombard Ukraine despite Kremlin officials and Donald Trump claiming a peace deal is close.
An attack on Kyiv on Thursday killed 12 and wounded dozens.
Keir Starmer has insisted that Ukraine must be able to decide its own future, after Mr Trump criticised Volodymyr Zelenskyy for being reluctant to agree to the peace deal in its current form.
US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Friday for continued negotiations with Vladimir Putin.