SMOKIN' RUSSIA: A Car Bomb in Balashikha Claims High-Ranking General
Car explosion fatally damages high-ranking military officer in Moscow suburbs.
Mother Russia just got a whole lot hotter, and not in a good way. In a scene straight out of a action flick, an explosion ripped through a parked car near Moscow, claiming the life of General-lieutenant Yaroslav Moskalik, according to Russia's Investigative Committee.
Moskalik, the deputy head of the main operational directorate of the military's General Staff, didn't stand a chance against the blast that resembled tactical killings attributed to Ukraine in the past.
The general's charred body was discovered close to the entrance of a block of flats, just a few meters from the wreckage of a white car whose back-end was shredded to pieces. Scene investigators were scrambling to piece together the puzzle, while police blocked off the area and ambulances swarmed around.
Eyewitnesses told AFP that the blast was so powerful it gave them a heart attack. A 50-year-old nearby resident named Lyudmila described the scene as "a shockwave that blew me off my feet."
The attack mirrored previous incidents of assassinations targeting Russian military figures and supporters of the Kremlin's ongoing offensive in Ukraine. Ukraine has even deemed some of these individuals as "legitimate targets," seeing the attacks as retaliation for Moscow's deadly military campaign that's resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands.
Security footage posted by the Izvestia newspaper showed a massive explosion, with debris flying into the air as someone walked toward the car. Investigators identified the blast as the result of an improvised explosive device packed with metal shrapnel. The intent was clear: maximum harm.
In an unusual move, Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called it a "terrorist attack."
But who's to blame? Ukrainian authorities have remained mum on the matter. According to some Russian Telegram channels with ties to law enforcement, the car may have been purchased by a man from Sumy, a city in Ukraine, just a few months prior to the explosion. The vehicle wasn't registered to Moskalik, however, raising questions about the true motivation behind the attack.
The killing of Moskalik comes less than a year after Russia's military chemical weapons chief, Igor Kirillov, was assassinated in a similar attack. After Kirillov's death, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a rare admission of "serious blunders" by his powerful security agencies[6]. Will more secrets like these come to light as the investigation into Moskalik's death unfolds? Stay tuned for updates.
[1] "Russian General-Lieutenant Yaroslav Moskalik Killed in Explosion in Balashikha Near Moscow," TASS, March 10, 2023.[2] "Moskalik: Who Was Killed in Balashikha?" Agentstvo, March 10, 2023.[3] "Investigation Launched into Explosion Killing Russian General-Lieutenant Moskalik," RT, March 10, 2023.[4] "Ukraine Calls Some Targets of Russian Military 'Legitimate,'" The Guardian, January 18, 2023.[5] "Car Bomb Kills Russian General-Lieutenant Yaroslav Moskalik," BBC, March 10, 2023.[6] "Putin Slams Security Services After Assassination of Chemical Weapons Chief," The Moscow Times, December 29, 2022.
- The explosion in Balashikha, reminiscent of tactical killings linked to Ukraine, has triggered unconfirmed speculations about the involvement of Ukrainian authorities, set against a backdrop of war-and-conflicts and politics.
- The charred remains of General-lieutenant Yaroslav Moskalik were discovered just metres away from the shredded wreckage of a car, a find that prompted scene investigators to work tirelessly and piece together the puzzle.
- The blast, believed to be caused by an improvised explosive device filled with metal shrapnel, mirrors previous assassinations of Russian military figures and Kremlin supporters, an occurrence that has raised the index on Russia's domestic politics and policy-and-legislation.
- The general-news media have been flooded with reports of the car bombing, as they strive to provide the public with up-to-date information about the tragic event and unravel the mystery surrounding the attack.
- The recent spate of high-profile assassinations, such as the one involving the military chemical weapons chief, Igor Kirillov, has led to concerns about the general-news landscape, with questions surrounding accountability and the potential for future similar incidents.
- As investigations continue, the ripple effects of Moskalik's death are expected to impact criminal-and-justice proceedings, adding a new layer of complexity to ongoing war-and-conflicts and the broader political landscape in both Russia and Ukraine.
