A senior Russian military officer was killed when a car exploded on Friday in the town of Balashikha just east of Moscow, Russia’s Investigative Committee said.
Russian authorities say they have detained a man described as a “Ukrainian special services agent” in connection with a car explosion that killed Russian General Yaroslav Moskalik on Friday.
The suspect allegedly purchased the car that exploded in Balashikha, less than 20 miles east of Moscow, according to TASS citing Russia’s Federal Security Service. The suspect’s nationality is unclear; according to the FSB, he has a residence permit in Ukraine.
The FSB also accused him of planting an explosive device in the car, but said that it was detonated from Ukraine. Video published by TASS on Saturday appeared to show charred electronics and parts of the car. Russia’s Investigative Committee had previously said the blast was caused by an improvised explosive device packed with shrapnel.
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Russian General Moskalik was deputy head of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces.
The influential Russian military blog Rybar said Moskalik was not in the Volkswagen car when it exploded but was close to it after walking out of a nearby building. CNN cannot independently verify this report.
Photos released by Russian authorities appear to show the suspect driving a dark green Volkswagen with license plates that match those purportedly found at the site of the blast.
TASS video also showed the man being put into a van, and included footage of him apparently in custody describing his alleged recruitment by Ukraine’s special services. It’s unclear if he was under duress during the confession.
No one has claimed responsibility for the explosion. CNN has reached out to Ukraine’s foreign ministry for comment on the suspect’s alleged links to Ukraine.
Moskalik was killed on the same day US special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin to discuss efforts to end Russia’s war on Ukraine.
After the three-hour meeting, US President Donald Trump initially voiced optimism that both sides were “very close to a deal.”
But the next day, Trump questioned whether Putin wants a peace deal shortly after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Vatican for Pope Francis’ funeral.
In a Truth Social post sent as he returned from Rome after the meeting, Trump raised the prospect of applying new sanctions on Russia after its assault on Kyiv last week.
“There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days,” Trump wrote. “It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions?’ Too many people are dying!!!”
Reported by CNN
