In a shocking development just east of Moscow, Lieutenant-General Yaroslav Moskalik, a top figure in Russia’s military establishment, was killed when a home-made explosive device tore through a parked car in the town of Balashikha on Friday, authorities confirmed.
According to Russia’s Investigative Committee, which handles major crime investigations, the bomb was packed with destructive elements and detonated outside a block of flats, engulfing a Volkswagen Golf in flames. The statement, however, stopped short of assigning blame for the attack.
Moskalik, the deputy head of the main operational directorate of Russia’s General Staff, was a significant player in Moscow’s military operations, including serving as a representative during the Normandy Format peace talks on Ukraine back in 2015. His promotion to lieutenant-general was personally authorized by President Vladimir Putin in 2021.
The blast, captured on nearby security cameras and later posted by local media outlets like Izvestia, showed the moment of the devastating explosion as an individual approached the vehicle. Kommersant newspaper reported that a second person was also killed in the attack, although their identity remains undisclosed.
Adding to the intrigue, Russian investigative outlet Agentstvo revealed that while Moskalik resided in Balashikha, the destroyed car was not registered under his name — raising further questions about the motive and method behind the strike.
This latest assassination bears striking similarities to previous high-profile killings tied to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Notably, the August 2022 car bombing that killed nationalist figure Darya Dugina, and the April 2023 blast in Saint Petersburg that claimed military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky. Furthermore, December 2023 witnessed the daring assassination of Igor Kirillov, head of Russia’s chemical weapons unit, via a bomb hidden in a scooter — an operation widely attributed to Ukrainian intelligence.
Following Kirillov’s death, President Putin made a rare public rebuke of Russia’s security apparatus, warning against “serious blunders” and calling for intensified countermeasures.
As of now, investigators have opened a criminal probe into Moskalik’s killing, but no suspects have been officially named. The attack comes at a time when Moscow’s elite is increasingly being targeted, indicating a heightened phase of the shadow war linked to the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
With tensions soaring and high-profile attacks becoming alarmingly frequent, Russia’s internal security remains under intense scrutiny — and the latest killing of Lieutenant-General Yaroslav Moskalik only deepens the sense of unease.
