Russian General Killed by Car Bomb Near Moscow

Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik, deputy head of the Main Operations Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces and an experienced military negotiator, was killed in a car explosion in Balashikha, just east of Moscow. The blast was caused by an improvised explosive device packed with shrapnel and reportedly detonated remotely as Moskalik walked past. Video footage captured the moment of the explosion, and Russian authorities have launched a criminal probe without officially attributing blame. The attack is being investigated as a targeted killing and comes amid heightened tensions following Russia’s recent deadly strikes on Ukraine. The incident also occurred ahead of a key diplomatic meeting between Vladimir Putin and a U.S. envoy. Moskalik is the latest in a series of high-profile Russian figures targeted since the Ukraine conflict began.