Additional information regarding the assassination of a high-ranking Russian general

On April 25, as a result of an explosion that occurred in the courtyard of a multi-story building in the city of Balashikha, located near Moscow, the Deputy Head of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik, was killed. This was reported by the Russian Investigative Committee and local sources.

The incident took place in the Aviators microdistrict, known as a residential area built for military retirees. The explosion occurred at approximately 10:40 local time. An explosive device installed in a Volkswagen Golf vehicle was detonated, resulting in one person being killed. The newspaper "Kommersant" reported that the number of victims could be two, but other sources did not confirm this information.

Due to the force of the explosion, windows on the lower floors of the buildings were shattered, and several nearby cars were damaged. After the incident, a fire broke out in the vehicle, which was promptly extinguished by firefighters.

Initially, it was assumed that the explosion was caused by a gas cylinder, but this assumption was soon dismissed. Experts found traces of an improvised explosive device and shrapnel from the vehicle. Therefore, investigators are emphasizing that the explosion could be an act of terrorism.

It has been revealed that the exploded vehicle did not belong to Moskalik. It was reported that the general's personal car was a Skoda Kodiaq. The owner of the Volkswagen Golf had changed several times recently, with the last owner being a 40-year-old named Ignat K., born in the city of Sumy, Ukraine.

Law enforcement agencies believe that the explosive device was detonated remotely while General Moskalik was exiting the entrance. Footage distributed by "Izvestiya" shows that the explosion occurred precisely when a person was passing by the car.

There is not much information about General Yaroslav Moskalik. He participated in the "Normandy format" negotiations for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in eastern Ukraine in 2015 and was involved in overseeing the delivery of phosphate products from Syria by the Russian company "Stroytransgaz" in 2018. He also regularly spoke at international conferences, including addressing topics related to Syria at the Moscow International Security Conference. Moskalik was awarded the rank of lieutenant general in 2021.

The Russian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case regarding this incident under Article 105 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for murder and Article 222.1 for illegal handling of explosive substances, and the investigation is ongoing.

Russian media are referring to Moskalik as the third lieutenant general to be killed since the large-scale war in Ukraine began.