Moscow Rocked by Second Deadly Blast in Days, Killing 2 Police Officers and 1 Civilian

For the second time in a week, a deadly explosion has shattered the calm in Moscow. Three people, including two police officers, were killed in a blast just days after a senior general was assassinated by a car bomb, fueling fears over rising insecurity in the Russian capital.

A Deadly Confrontation

Russia's Investigative Committee announced that an explosive device was detonated on Moscow's Yeletskaya Street as two traffic police officers approached a "suspicious individual" near their patrol car. Both officers and a nearby civilian died from their injuries. Russian media identified the officers as Ilya Klimanov, 24, and Maxim Gorbunov, 25. Committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko stated on Telegram that a criminal case was being investigated "regarding an attempt on the lives of traffic police officers."

Echoes of a Previous Attack

The explosion occurred near the location where Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, a senior Russian military official, was killed by a car bomb on Monday. Speaking to the Reuters news agency, a local resident named Alexander said, "There was an explosion. It was a loud bang—like with the car a few days ago." Russia has said it suspects Ukraine was behind the general's assassination, though Ukraine has not commented on its involvement. It's not yet known whether the two explosions are linked.