Two police officers were killed in an overnight explosion in Moscow after approaching a suspicious person near their service vehicle, Russia’s Investigative Committee said, underscoring rising security tensions in the capital days after a senior military commander was assassinated nearby.
The committee, which investigates major crimes, said in a statement that “an explosive device was triggered” as the officers moved toward the individual. The blast occurred at around 1:30 a.m. local time, according to Russian media reports that aired images of a cordoned-off street and a heavy police presence.
- Advertisement -
The Moscow explosion took place close to the site where Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Russian General Staff’s training department, was killed on Monday when a device planted under his parked car detonated. The back-to-back incidents, occurring within the same area of the city, have drawn heightened attention from authorities and state media.
Officials did not immediately provide additional details about the suspect involved in the overnight blast or whether anyone has been detained. The Investigative Committee’s statement did not attribute responsibility, and there was no immediate public comment on the latest incident from other state agencies.
Russian television showed emergency crews and investigators working behind police tape, as nearby residents described being jolted awake by the explosion. The area remained sealed off as forensic teams examined the scene.
Sarvarov’s killing earlier in the week rattled Moscow’s security establishment. The career officer, who oversaw training within the General Staff, was targeted by what investigators described as an explosive device concealed beneath his vehicle. That attack has not been publicly claimed, and authorities have not announced any arrests.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Kyiv has been blamed by Moscow for several attacks targeting Russian military officials and pro-Kremlin figures both inside Russia and in occupied Ukrainian territories. Ukraine has claimed responsibility for some operations but has not commented on Monday’s incident involving Sarvarov.
In Friday’s blast that killed the officers, the Investigative Committee said only that the device detonated as they approached the suspect, offering no further context on motive, materials used, or whether the episode was linked to the recent killing of the general.
Authorities have urged the public to avoid the area while investigators work to reconstruct the sequence of events and identify those responsible. No casualties beyond the two officers were immediately reported.
The latest Moscow explosion adds to a series of incidents that have unsettled the capital and prompted visible increases in security around official buildings and transport hubs. As of Friday morning, investigators had not released the names of the slain officers, pending notification of their families.
This is a developing story. More details are expected as the Investigative Committee completes its initial examination of the blast site and reviews surveillance and witness accounts.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
