MOSCOW: A senior Russian general was killed in a car bomb on Friday, in the city of Balashikha, less than 20 miles east of Moscow, according to Russian authorities.
Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik, deputy head of the Main Operations Directorate of the Russian General Staff, killed after a bomb detonated near him. The tragic incident came just hours before US envoy Steve Witkoff met President Vladimir Putin for talks on the Ukraine conflict.
Russia’s Investigative Committee confirmed the death, stating that the explosion was caused by a shrapnel-filled improvised explosive device.
The incident occurred during Witkoff’s fourth official visit to Russia since Donald Trump resumed the presidency in January—and his second visit this month.
According to the state news agency Tass, Witkoff met with President Putin at the Kremlin and also held talks with senior Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev.
Witkoff’s visit follows remarks by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday, who stated that Moscow was “ready to reach a deal” on ending the war in Ukraine, though some points still required “fine-tuning.”
According to the military-affiliated Russian blog Rybar, Moskalik was standing near the vehicle—not inside it—when the explosion occurred shortly after he exited a nearby building.
Public information about Moskalik is scarce, but Rybar described him as “competent and demanding,” noting that he was “not well-liked” because of his strict leadership style.
Authorities have started a criminal investigation into the bombing. Forensic teams are currently working at the site of the explosion.
It is worth mentioning that two days earlier an explosion triggered a fire in an underground car park in the Moscow business district.
