International-News

Russia, General Moskalik killed in attack in Balashikha: Moscow accuses Kiev

Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik died in the explosion of a homemade device placed on his car. Zakharova accuses Ukrainian intelligence services

General Yaroslav Moskalik, deputy head of the Department for Operations of the Russian General Staff, was killed today in an attack in Balashikha, near Moscow. This was reported by the Ria Novosti agency, also confirmed by Interfax, which cites official sources of the Russian Investigative Committee.

According to preliminary information provided by the Committee’s spokeswoman, Svetlana Petrenko, the senior officer died as a result of the detonation of a homemade explosive device, stuffed with shrapnel, placed on his car. ‘An investigative task force consisting of investigators, forensic experts and law enforcement officers is working at the scene to collect useful elements,’ Petrenko said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry called the attack a ‘terrorist act’. Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, speaking on the incident, linked the murder to the ongoing war context: ‘We see too many victims every day. Even today a Russian soldier was killed in a terrorist attack’.

Zakharova also put forward the hypothesis of Ukrainian intelligence involvement, pointing out that Moskalik was known in Kiev for his role in the Normandy and Minsk Contact Group peace talks on the Donbass conflict.

The Russian authorities have not yet released further details on the identity of the perpetrators or officially confirmed the motive, but the attack rekindles alarm over a possible escalation in the region.

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