Car Bombing in Moscow Injures Former Aide to Ukraine’s Ex-PM

By Staff, Agencies

A car explosion in Moscow injured Sergei Zavorotniy, a former senior aide to ex-Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, while he was inside the vehicle, Russian media reported on Friday. The explosion occurred in the Chertanovo district of the Russian capital.

According to Russian media reports, Zavorotniy sustained severe injuries, including the loss of his left arm, a concussion, and fractured ribs. Russia's Investigative Committee confirmed that it had opened an investigation into the incident.

The incident was described as a possible assassination targeting Ukrainians opposed to the current Ukrainian authorities, with suspicion directed toward Ukrainian intelligence services. No immediate comment was issued by Kiev.

Azarov, who served as prime minister from 2010 to 2014 and later fled to Russia, said he had no information about the explosion beyond confirmation that his former aide had survived.

The bombing marks another incident in a series of attacks targeting Russian military personnel and figures linked to the conflict.

On November 12, a Russian Air Force colonel was killed in a car bombing near St. Petersburg, while Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev, deputy head of Russian military intelligence, was shot and wounded in Moscow in February 2026. Moscow has previously accused Ukraine of involvement in similar attacks.