Colonel dies in St. Petersburg car explosion
Russian investigators opened a murder probe after a vehicle detonated in the Pushkinsky district on November 12.
By Andrew Kovalenko ·
A Russian serviceman died when a vehicle exploded in St. Petersburg on the morning of November 12, according to the Russian Federation Investigative Committee. The committee confirmed the fatality in its official account of the incident. While the committee stated that the victim was serving in the military, it did not disclose his specific rank. Russian media outlets, however, identified the man as a colonel.
Investigators opened a murder case following the blast. They are currently examining the scene in the city's Pushkinsky district. Forensic examinations have been commissioned as part of the ongoing inquiry. The official confirmation established the victim's military status but did not provide further details regarding his specific service branch or unit.
Local news outlet Fontanka reported that the colonel had left his home in Shushary. He entered his car and began driving out of the courtyard. An explosive device detonated as he exited the property. The driver died at the scene. Fontanka initially reported that a relative was in the vehicle and had been injured. The outlet later revised this information, stating that the colonel was alone and that no one occupied the passenger seat.
The area surrounding the explosion site was cordoned off by authorities. Russian security services are searching for the individual who placed the improvised explosive device. The Exilenova+ Telegram channel provided preliminary reporting that identified the victim as an air force colonel. This detail aligns with the rank reported by other Russian media sources.
This incident follows a similar event on August 27, 2026. A car carrying a Russian serviceman exploded on Kolpinskoye Highway. Russian media reported that a lieutenant colonel from an air force and air defense unit was killed in that blast. His wife was injured in the same incident. The Russian Federation Investigative Committee later confirmed that the man who died in August was a serviceman and that the injured woman was his wife.
Russian media reports identified the man killed in the November 12 explosion as a colonel. The Investigative Committee confirmed the death of a serviceman but did not specify his rank in its initial statement.
