A Russian army colonel has been killed in St Petersburg after an explosive device planted in his car was reportedly detonated remotely. The blast occurred on Kolpinsky Highway near Shushary, in the Pushkinsky district, as the officer left a courtyard and was getting into the vehicle. According to preliminary reports, the device had been placed under the car. Emergency services cordoned off the area and traffic on the affected section of the highway was suspended. The victim’s identity has not been officially disclosed, while sources have named two possible senior officers.
Key Takeaways: The explosion took place on Kolpinsky Highway near Shushary; the victim was a colonel in the Russian army. A family member was also in the car and was injured, later taken to hospital. Russia’s Investigative Committee confirmed that a criminal case has been opened into the killing of a serviceman.
The incident is being viewed against the backdrop of a series of bombings in Russian cities that have killed senior military figures during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. On 27 August, a car exploded on the same Kolpinsky Highway, killing a lieutenant colonel and leaving his wife unharmed. In that case, too, an explosive device was reportedly attached to the underside of the vehicle. The latest attack has renewed attention to security and personal protection for military officers.
The Fontanka news outlet reported that the device had been fixed to the lower part of the car and was triggered remotely. Sources differ on the identity of the victim: they name either Andrey Khodykin, deputy commander for military-political work of the 6th Air and Air Defence Forces Army, or Dmitry Lobodin, chief of staff of the 6th Army. Both are said to live near the blast site, but officials have not confirmed either name. The Investigative Committee said in a statement: «Investigative bodies have opened a criminal case over the killing of a serviceman as a result of a car explosion in the Pushkinsky district».
In the 27 August case, Fontanka reported, citing a source, that a 24-year-old Russian woman was suspected of planting the device and had left for Turkey after the blast. Law enforcement agencies did not provide official information about that investigation, and the identity of the dead officer and other details were not disclosed. In the current case, investigators have also withheld key details, and the possible victim’s name remains unconfirmed.
Further details are expected as investigators work to establish the exact identity of the victim, how the device was detonated and who may have organised the attack. There is no immediate word on when traffic will fully resume on the affected section of Kolpinsky Highway. Officials have pledged a thorough investigation, but no additional verified information has so far been released. The incident is likely to heighten scrutiny of security arrangements for senior military personnel in Russian cities.
Source: kun.uz