A senior Russian military figure was killed Friday after a vehicle exploded in the town of Balashikha in the Moscow region, the Investigative Committee of Russia said.
Russian authorities had launched a criminal inquiry into the death of Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko said in a statement Friday on behalf of the committee, which is Russia’s main federal criminal investigations authority.
Moskalik was killed in the explosion of a Volkswagen Golf in the city of Balashikha following the “detonation of a homemade explosive device filled with shrapnel,” Petrenko added.
He is the latest in a long line of senior Russian military figures to be killed in bombings since Moscow invaded Ukraine three years ago.
Speaking to the media the same day, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova called the blast a “terrorist attack.” Authorities in Moscow have used similar language following previous bombing attacks on army personnel that were alleged to have been carried out by or on behalf of Ukraine.
Since the start of the war, a number of pro-war Russian figures, including journalist Darya Dugina and former-submarine commander Stanislav Rzhitsk, have been assassinated in operations that Moscow has blamed on Kyiv.
“The main question is how to stop the war in the center of Europe, the world. We see so many victims every day,” Zakharova said, adding: “Even today, a Russian military was killed in a terrorist attack in Moscow.”
In video published by the investigative committee, a burned-out vehicle could be seen on a road, with its hood flung open as investigators took in the scene. Official statements did not state whether Moskalik was inside or near the vehicle when it exploded.
Petrenko said the task force assigned to the case would include investigators, forensic experts and other law enforcement professionals.
It follows Russia’s continuing bombardment of Ukraine’s major cities. One of the largest such attacks in recent months came overnight Thursday and killed at least 12 people.
President Donald Trump has expressed his frustrations with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling on Putin in a post on his Truth Social platform to “stop” following the sweeping attacks. “I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing,” Trump said.
He told reporters Thursday that he believed Putin would listen to his call for a halt to strikes on Ukraine. He added that while there was “a lot of hatred” between Russia and Ukraine, they both wanted peace.
Trump had also reacted angrily earlier Wednesday to Zelenskyy’s refusal to consider ceding territory in exchange for a ceasefire. But Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko contradicted Zelenskyy on Friday, saying that Ukraine may have to relinquish territory.
Those comments — a major departure from senior Ukrainian figures’ previous remarks — came as Russian state media released video showing U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff meeting with Putin for their latest round of talks.
An adviser in Zelenskyy’s office, Serhiy Leshchenko, told the BBC Klitschko’s remarks were “counterproductive.”
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
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