A senior Russian military official died in a car bombing near Moscow on Tuesday morning, marking the latest in a series of attacks targeting high-ranking Russian military figures since the invasion of Ukraine began.
Colonel Damir Davydov, 57, was killed when an explosive device detonated beneath his BMW around 5:30 a.m. as he drove near his home in Balashikha, according to independent Russian media outlets. Davydov headed the Russian military's artillery and missile ammunition supply directorate, a critical logistics position overseeing weapons distribution to the armed forces.
Security camera footage showed the vehicle engulfed in flames after the explosion. Bystanders attempted to extract Davydov from the wreckage, but he died from his injuries shortly after. A person who helped pull him from the car described seeing severe burns covering his body. "Looking at him, it was clear he was unlikely to survive," the witness told reporters.
The Kremlin confirmed the explosion occurred and that President Vladimir Putin had been informed. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to provide details about the investigation, stating that information related to ongoing investigations cannot be publicly disclosed.
The bombing occurred less than a mile from where a similar car bomb killed Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik, deputy head of the Russian armed forces' main operations directorate, over a year ago. This proximity highlights concerns about the effectiveness of Russia's security measures protecting senior officials, particularly following multiple high-profile attacks.
Ukrainian intelligence agencies have been suspected of targeting dozens of senior Russian military officers and Moscow-installed officials in occupied territories since the war began, accusing many of involvement in war crimes. Ukraine has not commented on Davydov's death. Russian lawmaker Vladimir Shamanov, a retired general, condemned the attack as an "outrage" without directly naming Ukraine as responsible.
The incident underscores vulnerabilities in Russia's internal security apparatus despite heightened protection measures implemented for top military and political figures, including Putin. Little is publicly known about the Ukrainian intelligence networks believed to operate inside Russia and Russian-controlled areas, conducting assassinations and attacks on military infrastructure behind the front lines.
A separate incident in Moscow on the same day involved an attempted bombing by an employee of a scientific industrial enterprise. Russian authorities said a teenage girl allegedly retrieved an explosive device from a dead drop on instructions from Ukrainian handlers and passed it to a teenage boy. Both teenagers were detained before the device could be used, according to Russia's investigative committee.
The successful Ukrainian intelligence operations targeting Russian officials are believed to have prompted Russia to increasingly use internet shutdowns as a security measure, a tactic that has caused frustration among the Russian public.