Russian Authorities Detain Suspect in Car Explosion That Killed General Yaroslav Moskalik

A senior Russian military officer was killed when a car exploded on Friday in the town of Balashikha just east of Moscow, Russia's Investigative Committee said.

Russian authorities have detained a man described as a "Ukrainian special services agent" in connection with the car explosion that killed Russian General Yaroslav Moskalik on Friday. The Federal Security Service (FSB) reported that the suspect allegedly purchased the vehicle that later exploded in Balashikha, located less than 20 miles east of Moscow. While the suspect's nationality remains unclear, the FSB indicated he holds a residence permit in Ukraine.

According to the FSB, the suspect planted an explosive device inside the car, with the detonation triggered remotely from Ukraine. Visual evidence shared by Russian authorities shows charred vehicle parts and damaged electronics from the blast scene. Russia’s Investigative Committee confirmed that the explosion was caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) packed with shrapnel.

Major General Yaroslav Moskalik, Deputy Chief of the Main Operations Directorate of the Russian General Staff

General Yaroslav Moskalik served as the deputy head of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. Reports from Russian military sources indicated that Moskalik was not inside the vehicle at the time of the explosion but was nearby after exiting a nearby building. These details have not been independently verified.

Photographs released by Russian authorities appear to show the suspect driving a dark green Volkswagen with license plates matching those at the scene. Footage also shows the suspect being placed into custody and describing his alleged recruitment by Ukrainian special services, although it remains unclear if the confession was made under duress.

The car

No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion. Ukrainian officials have not yet commented on the allegations regarding the suspect’s ties to Ukraine.

The killing of General Moskalik occurred on the same day U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin to discuss potential efforts to end the ongoing war in Ukraine. After the three-hour meeting, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed initial optimism about reaching a peace agreement. However, following his subsequent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Vatican during Pope Francis' funeral, Trump questioned Putin's willingness to negotiate.

Russian Police at the scene of the car explosion that killed a Russian General

Upon returning from Rome, Trump suggested the possibility of imposing new sanctions against Russia due to recent missile attacks on civilian areas in Kyiv. In a post on Truth Social, he wrote, “There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days. It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions?’ Too many people are dying!!!”