A senior Russian military officer was killed Friday in a car bombing in Balashikha, a city just outside Moscow, Russian authorities confirmed.
Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, 59, deputy head of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, died after an improvised explosive device detonated near his residence. The explosion occurred around 10:40 a.m. local time, according to a statement from Russia’s Investigative Committee.
The moment of BOOM in Balashikha
pic.twitter.com/HMSot281cF
— MAKS 24
(@Maks_NAFO_FELLA) April 25, 2025
Investigators said the device was placed inside a parked Volkswagen Golf and packed with shrapnel. Video footage from the scene showed a sudden explosion, with smoke billowing near an apartment complex. It remains unclear whether Moskalik was inside or walking past the vehicle when the device detonated.
The Investigative Committee announced the opening of a criminal inquiry into the killing, labeling it a “terrorist attack.” A team of forensic experts and law enforcement officers was deployed to examine the scene. No group has yet claimed responsibility.
Per Russian media, a car exploded in the Moscow suburbs, killing Major General Yaroslav Moskalik, deputy chief of the Russian General Staff’s Main Operational Directorate. The bomb detonated as he passed the vehicle. pic.twitter.com/pQq39cOmRa
— WarTranslated (@wartranslated) April 25, 2025
The Kremlin accused Ukraine of orchestrating the bombing. Speaking to state media, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov alleged that “the Kyiv regime continues to be involved in terrorist activity.”
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova echoed the accusation, calling the blast “a terrorist attack.”
Ukraine has not issued an official response to the allegations.
Previous attacks have killed the former head of Olenivka Prison, a senior officer in Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, and the head of security at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. A deputy chief in the Russian General Staff survived a car bombing. A paramilitary leader and the head of Russia’s chemical and biological defense forces were also killed in separate bombings.
The bombing coincided with a diplomatic visit by U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, who held a three-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Friday.
Following the meeting, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov described the talks as “constructive and very useful,” saying they had “narrowed differences” between the two sides.
Moskalik’s death follows a series of security incidents in Moscow, including a fire caused by an explosion at an underground car park earlier in the week. According to military bloggers, Moskalik was considered “competent and demanding,” though “not well liked” among subordinates.
