A senior Russian military officer was killed on Friday when an explosive device detonated in a parked car near Moscow, in an attack reminiscent of previous high-profile assassinations attributed to Ukraine’s ongoing conflict with Russia.
Authorities identified the victim as General-Lieutenant Yaroslav Moskalik, the deputy head of the main operational directorate of Russia’s General Staff — the body responsible for overseeing army operations. Moskalik, 59, was a key figure in military planning for Russia’s three-year offensive in Ukraine.
The explosion occurred around 10:45 a.m. local time in Balashikha, a town east of Moscow, outside a residential block. Eyewitnesses reported hearing a powerful blast that shook nearby buildings. “The explosion was very strong, it even gave me heart pain,” said Lyudmila, a 50-year-old local resident.
Russia’s Investigative Committee confirmed it had launched a murder investigation after a Volkswagen Golf loaded with an improvised explosive device detonated, killing Moskalik. Security footage shared by Russian media showed a massive fireball engulfing the area as a person approached the vehicle moments before the blast.
Though Kyiv has not officially commented, the attack bore the hallmarks of past operations linked to Ukrainian secret services. Over the past three years, a string of assassinations has targeted Russian military leaders, propagandists, and figures associated with the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine. Ukrainian officials have previously labeled such individuals as “legitimate targets.”
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova denounced the incident as a terrorist attack. Meanwhile, Sergei Menyailo, head of Russia’s North Ossetia region and an ally of President Vladimir Putin, pointed the finger at Ukraine. “People like Yaroslav stick in the enemy’s craw,” he told the RIA Novosti news agency.
According to the independent outlet Vazhniye Istorii, Moskalik’s department played a pivotal role in coordinating military operations in Ukraine. He was appointed to the rank of general-lieutenant in 2021 and had previously represented the Russian military during ceasefire negotiations in 2015.
A Pattern of High-Profile Assassinations
The assassination follows a pattern of targeted killings against pro-Kremlin figures since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Notable incidents include the August 2022 car bombing of nationalist Darya Dugina and the April 2023 bombing in a St. Petersburg café that killed military blogger Maxim Fomin, known as Vladlen Tatarsky.
Last December, Ukraine’s secret services reportedly claimed responsibility for the killing of General Igor Kirillov, head of Russia’s chemical weapons division, who was targeted by a remotely operated bomb in Moscow.
Unconfirmed reports from Russian Telegram channels with ties to law enforcement claimed that the Volkswagen used in Friday’s attack had been recently purchased by a man from the Ukrainian city of Sumy. It had reportedly been parked near Moskalik’s residence for several days and was allegedly equipped with a surveillance camera.
Kremlin Under Pressure
Following similar incidents, President Putin previously criticized the performance of Russian security agencies. After Kirillov’s assassination, he warned, “We must not allow such very serious blunders to happen.”
As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine grinds into its third year, these targeted attacks continue to destabilize Moscow’s military command and highlight vulnerabilities in the capital’s security apparatus.
The Kremlin has yet to issue an official statement on Moskalik’s killing.
