Car bomb kills senior Russian military official near Moscow

Want LBC stories before everyone else? Set us as your Preferred Source on Google

Colonel Damir Davydov was driving near his home in the city of Balashikha around 5:30am on Tuesday when a bomb, attached to the bottom of a BMW, detonated, the independent outlet Astra reported.

This is the latest assassination in the latest string of incidents which have targeted Russian military officials and prominent pro-Russia figureheads since the beginning of the war.

The 57-year-old led the Russian military’s artillery and missile weaponry directorate, which was in charge of distributing weapons to the armed forces.

On Wednesday, the Kremlin confirmed that an explosion had taken place and that President Putin had been notified.

Read more: Farage says Reform ‘unapologetic’ about Robert Kenyon’s past social media use

Read more: Bill Gates tells Congress Jeffrey Epstein used extramarital affairs as leverage against him

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov did not comment on the investigation, adding, “As you understand, information related to the ongoing investigation cannot be disclosed. This is, of course, a matter for our special services.”

Footage shared by the pro-Russian media appeared to depict Davydov’s vehicle bursting into flames and rolling towards a parked car.

The Mash Telegram channel reported that onlookers attempted to pull the driver from the wreckage, but he later died from his injuries.

Davydov was reportedly still alive after being pulled from the vehicle, according to bystanders.

One witness said, “All of his clothes were on fire. I put out the flames on his T-shirt and tore it off so it wouldn’t burn his skin … Looking at him, it was clear he was unlikely to survive.”

The incident has not been commented on by Ukraine.

Russian legislator and former general Vladimir Shamanov condemned the attack as an “outrage” and added: “Such insolence should be met with the same.”

Ukrainian intelligence agencies have targeted dozens of senior Russian military officers and accused several of being complicit in war crimes.

Davydov’s assassination will exacerbate criticism of Russia’s ability to protect top officials, despite enhanced security measures being introduced for top figures, including Vladimir Putin.

To add further embarrassment for security services, the assassination occurred less than a mile from the location where Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik, the deputy head of the Russian armed forces’ main operations directorate, was killed in a similar attack.

The secretive Ukrainian networks thought to be responsible for the attacks are shrouded in mystery, but their efficacy is thought to be behind Russia’s increasing number of internet shutdowns, which have drawn criticism from Russians.

A separate incident in Moscow on Tuesday was reported by Russian state media, which claimed that there had been an attempt to assassinate a member of staff at a scientific-industrial organisation.

A teenage girl had allegedly retrieved an explosive device from Ukrainian fixers in a dead drop and passed it along to a teenage boy, according to RIA Novosti, citing Russia’s investigative committee.

Both teenagers had reportedly been detained before the device could be detonated.