A Russian military official has been killed in a car explosion in St. Petersburg, investigators said Thursday, with local media identifying his rank as lieutenant colonel.
The blast occurred around 10 a.m. local time near a supermarket in the Shushary neighborhood, the news outlet Fontanka reported.
Investigators later confirmed the military official’s death but described the incident only as a “vehicle fire,” not an explosion. They also said his wife, who was also inside the car at the time of the blast, was receiving medical treatment.
The Investigation Committee, Russia’s top investigative body, said it launched a criminal probe into the incident.
Russia has accused Ukraine of carrying out several assassinations of military officers since the full-scale invasion. Ukrainian sources have claimed responsibility for some of the attacks while denying involvement in others.
Officials in Kyiv did not immediately comment on Thursday’s reported blast.
On Friday, Fontanka reported that law enforcement had identified a 24-year-old woman who was allegedly recruited by Ukrainian handlers online and planted the “powerful and complex” bomb on Wednesday evening.
She reportedly boarded a flight to Turkey early Thursday morning and, by the time Russian authorities contacted their Turkish colleagues, had already flown to Moldova.
Exiled outlet Agentstvo said war monitoring Telegram channels identified the victim as 43-year-old Sergei Sechkov. The outlet said it confirmed Sechkov’s death with his father in brief online comments.
Russian authorities have yet to identify the victim 24 hours after the bombing.
A Russian military officer was last killed in a bomb attack in annexed Crimea earlier this month. Police arrested a woman suspected of assassinating him on behalf of Ukraine.
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