Two police officers and a civilian were killed in an explosion in southern Moscow on Wednesday, near the site where a Russian general was killed earlier this week, according to investigators.
Moscow Explosion Kills Two Officers, Civilian
The two traffic police officers died early Wednesday when an explosive device was triggered as they attempted to arrest a suspicious individual near their service vehicle, the Russian Investigative Committee said.
“Two police officers succumbed to their injuries,” the statement said, adding that the person standing next to them also died in the explosion.
An investigation has been opened for “attempted murder” of law enforcement officers and “explosives trafficking.”
A resident nearby, identified as Alexander, told the Reuters news agency, “There was an explosion. It was a loud bang – like with the car a few days ago.”
Another resident, Roza, said she was woken by the explosion in the early hours and that the entire building appeared to shake.
Blast Near Site of General’s Killing
The blast occurred near a police station on Yeletskaya Street in southern Moscow, close to where Russian General Fanil Sarvarov was killed on Monday by a car bomb. Sarvarov was the head of the operational training department within the Russian General Staff.
The victims were young traffic police officers, aged 24 and 25, with the older victim leaving behind a wife and child.
The motive for the attack is currently unknown, with Russian officials releasing limited information.
Images broadcast by Russian television showed the area cordoned off with a large police presence.
Russia suspects Ukraine was behind Sarvarov’s killing, though Ukraine has not commented officially. Sarvarov had been involved in training personnel for the military operation in Ukraine.
Since the start of the Russian offensive against Ukraine in February 2022, several Russian generals, local officials, and public figures supporting the offensive have died in explosions in Russia or occupied Ukraine. Kyiv has claimed responsibility for some of these attacks.
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