Russian colonel killed in car explosion outside St Petersburg: report

Detailed summary

Russia has blamed Ukraine for previous assassinations of senior military officials linked to the war effort

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today.

A Russian colonel has been killed in a car explosion outside St Petersburg, according to reports.

Investigators have opened a murder probe after an unnamed serviceman died in the blast in the city’s Pushkinsky District early on Thursday.

A bomb is believed to have been strapped to the underside of the vehicle, detonating on the Kolpino Highway around 7am local time, according to local media.

An unnamed source told Russian outlet Fontanka that a colonel had killed in the blast while driving. A family member travelling with them was injured by shrapnel, they added.

Video shared on Russian Telegram channels showed a large dark-coloured car surrounded by apparent debris and damaged skirting.

The doors and bonnet had been opened as investigators worked on the scene, which was closed off by a police cordon.

The Independent was unable to verify the footage, which appeared across Russian media. News agencies TASS and RIA circulated similar footage of the site.

Nobody has taken responsibility for the explosion, which comes amid Russia’s nearly five-year war in Ukraine.

Opening of the article, excerpted from The Independent. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.