A Russian military officer was killed and his wife injured on Thursday after an explosive device detonated in a vehicle in St. Petersburg, according to Russian media reports.
The online St. Petersburg outlet Fontanka reported that the victim was a Russian army lieutenant colonel. His wife was injured in the blast and taken to hospital.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said it had opened a criminal investigation into the explosion but did not officially confirm that the victim was a member of the military. The Telegram channel Mash identified him as a serviceman.
Unverified videos circulated by local Telegram channels showed police and emergency crews at a cordoned-off street, with debris from the destroyed vehicle visible at the scene.
The circumstances surrounding the explosion remain under investigation, and no group has publicly claimed responsibility.
Russia has repeatedly accused Ukraine of carrying out attacks and assassinations targeting senior military officials and individuals involved in Moscow’s war effort. Ukrainian sources have claimed responsibility for some such operations, while denying involvement in others.
Ukraine has not yet commented on the St. Petersburg explosion.
The incident comes less than two weeks after a Russian officer was killed in a bomb attack in Crimea on August 13. A woman was subsequently arrested on suspicion of carrying out that attack on behalf of Ukrainian intelligence services, according to Russian authorities.
The latest explosion adds to a series of attacks against Russian military and security figures since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, although responsibility for individual incidents is not always immediately established.
