Car bomb kills Russian military officer in St. Petersburg

A car explosion in Russia's St. Petersburg killed a military officer Thursday.

The blast occurred around 10 a.m. (local time) Thursday in front of a grocery store along a highway in St. Petersburg, according to Russian state news agency TASS and local outlet Fontanka. The driver was killed at the scene, while his wife, who was in the passenger seat, suffered serious injuries and was taken to intensive care.

The explosion happened moments after the couple left their home and started the vehicle. Investigators believe a homemade explosive device planted inside the car detonated. The blast was powerful enough to crack the windshields of nearby parked vehicles.

The driver was identified as a lieutenant colonel with Russia's Air Defense Command of the Air Force. Russia's Investigative Committee described the incident as a "vehicle fire" rather than an explosion.

Local outlet Agentstvo reported that the area where the blast occurred has seen extensive construction of housing for Russian military personnel.

Ukraine has not commented on the incident. AFP noted that Ukraine has previously claimed responsibility for assassinations targeting senior Russian military figures inside Russia.

Last April, Yaroslav Moskalik, deputy chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the Russian General Staff, was killed in a car explosion in Balashikha, near Moscow. Investigators said at the time that a homemade explosive packed with metal fragments was used, with a force equivalent to 300 grams of TNT.

In December 2024, Igor Kirillov, commander of Russia's Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Forces, and his aide were killed in a roadside explosion in Moscow.