Russian military serviceman killed in St Petersburg car explosion

A Russian military serviceman was killed and his wife injured in a car explosion in the Pushkinsky suburb of St Petersburg on Thursday, according to the city's branch of the Investigative Committee. The identity and rank of the serviceman were not disclosed by authorities. However, the online newspaper Fontanka reported that he was a 53-year-old lieutenant colonel who died instantly or shortly after the vehicle's engine started. Ukrainian news outlet Ukrainska Pravda stated that the lieutenant colonel was serving in Russia's Air Force and Air and Missile Defence units under the Aerospace Forces. The explosion occurred at approximately 10am local time (07:00 GMT) and witnesses reported that the blast completely destroyed the car. The Investigative Committee announced that investigators and forensic experts are examining the scene and have opened a criminal probe, although they initially referred to the incident as a vehicle fire without confirming the presence of an explosive device. Moscow has accused Kyiv of attempting to assassinate top Russian military officials during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, with Kyiv claiming responsibility for some incidents while denying involvement in others. Al Jazeera correspondent Yulia Shapovalova reported that this incident is part of a series of assassinations of high-ranking Russian military figures since the onset of the conflict in February 2022. There have been multiple high-profile vehicle explosions and targeted killings of military commanders and pro-war figures in both St Petersburg and Moscow. On August 5, a factory director supplying drones to the Russian military was severely injured, and his driver was killed in a car explosion 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) east of Moscow. No group has claimed responsibility for the latest blast, and Ukraine has not provided a comment.