Car bomb in Russia injures ex-Ukraine PM's adviser

Detailed summary

A former advisor to ex-Ukrainian prime minister Mykola Azarov has been injured in a car blast in Moscow, officials in the Russian capital say.

A car bombing in Moscow has critically injured an adviser to Ukraine's former prime minister in the second such attack in as many days and part of a series linked to the conflict with Russia's neighbour.

The explosion struck a car driven by Sergey Zavorotny, who previously worked as an adviser to former prime minister Mykola Azarov, according to Russia's Investigative Committee.

Azarov served as prime minister under Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, who was forced from office by protesters and fled to Russia in February 2014.

Azarov, who also lives in Russia, told state TV that he was "shocked" by the attack that left his former adviser critically injured.

He said he believes Zavorotny was targeted because of his criticism of of Ukrainian authorities.

Russia's REN TV channel said he lost his left arm, suffered multiple other injuries and was in a coma after the explosion.

Zavorotny, 72, had worked as a journalist for Russia's daily Komsomolskaya Pravda before becoming Azarov's adviser.

He wrote a book about Yanukovych's ouster and ran an online outlet critical of Ukrainian authorities.

On Thursday, a military serviceman was killed in St Petersburg by a bomb in his vehicle, according to the Investigative Committee.

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