According to the authorities, the explosion occurred at approximately 10:40 a.m. local time in Balashikha.Tatyana Makeyeva/AFP via Getty Images

Senior Russian military officer killed in car bomb near Moscow – POLITICO

by · POLITICO

A senior Russian military officer was killed in a car explosion on Friday in the Moscow region, Russian authorities confirmed.

The victim was identified as Yaroslav Moskalik, 59, deputy head of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces.

“According to available information, the explosion was caused by the detonation of an improvised explosive device containing destructive elements,” Russia’s Investigative Committee said in a statement, adding that it had launched a criminal investigation into the killing.