Russian General Killed in Car Bomb Blast Near Moscow

A Volkswagen Golf exploded in Moscow's suburban town of Balashikha. A high-ranking officer of the General Staff of Russia's Ministry of Defense, General Yaroslav Moskalik, was killed in the blast.

He held the position of Deputy Chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

The explosion occurred around 10:40 AM on Nesterov Boulevard. The blast wave reportedly threw Moskalik, who was passing by, several meters from the site.

The explosive-laden vehicle may have been intentionally brought to the building where the general lived. The car did not belong to the victim. The channel added that the improvised explosive device was packed with lethal shrapnel roughly six millimeters in diameter.

The blast shattered windows in several floors of a nearby residential building. Thick black smoke was visible from various parts of the town.

Russia's Investigative Committee opened a criminal case in connection with the explosion. Investigators, forensic experts, and law enforcement personnel were dispatched to the scene.

The latest bombing incident may affect negotiations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and  U.S. President's special envoy Steve Witkoff. Witkoff's plane ended at Moscow's Vnukovo Airport on April 25.