Russian officer dies in car blast in St. Petersburg

A lieutenant colonel was killed in a car explosion in Russia’s second-largest city, St. Petersburg, on Thursday.

Russia’s Investigative Committee said the blast occurred in Pushkinsky on the southern outskirts of the city. Neighborhoods in the area are known to house Russian military personnel.

Local media suggest the car exploded when the driver turned on the ignition. The victim’s wife was also in the car and was rushed to a hospital after the blast.

Authorities did not immediately name a suspect, and no group has claimed responsibility.

Russia has seen a series of assassinations targeting senior military officials and others linked to the war effort.

On August 5, the director of a drone factory was badly wounded and his driver was killed when their car exploded outside the tech hub of Yekaterinburg. Days earlier, on August 1, a bomb at an upscale Italian restaurant in Moscow killed five people, including the bomber.

Read more: Deutsche Welle