Moscow [Russia]: Yaroslav Moskalik, Deputy Chief of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, was killed on Friday in a car explosion in Balashikha, a city near Moscow, according to Russian news agency TASS, citing Investigative Committee Spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko.
The explosion, which occurred near building number 2 on Nesterova Boulevard, was reportedly caused by an improvised explosive device (IED). Authorities have opened a criminal case under Articles 105 and 222.1 of the Russian Criminal Code—which relate to murder and illegal trafficking of explosives.
Yaroslav Moskalik, aged 59, had served as a representative of the Russian Ministry of Defence in various diplomatic and military negotiations.
Emergency services, investigators, and analytical teams quickly arrived at the scene. According to preliminary findings, the explosive device was filled with submunitions and had an estimated power of over 300 grams of TNT, TASS reported. The explosive fragments have been sent for further forensic examination.
The Investigative Committee stated:
“An improvised explosive device filled with submunitions was the cause of the explosion. The device had an explosive power of over 300 grams of TNT.”
This incident is the second high-profile assassination by explosion in recent months. In December, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, Chief of Russia’s Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Protection Troops, and his aide were killed in a similar explosion in southeastern Moscow.
Spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko, referencing that December blast, stated:
“On the morning of December 17, an explosive device planted in a scooter went off near a residential building entrance on Ryazansky Avenue in Moscow, the investigation showed. Chief of Russia’s Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection Troops Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov and his aide were killed in the explosion.”
The investigation into both incidents is ongoing, with Russian authorities treating them as acts of targeted assassination involving military personnel.