Russian colonel killed by car explosion in Saint Petersburg

A Russian serviceman was killed when his car exploded in Saint Petersburg on Thursday morning, Euronews, Demócrata, and The Sunday Guardian reported. Local media indicated that another person was injured in the blast, according to Euronews. Russian investigators have opened a murder inquiry following the incident. [1][5][6][7]

The explosion occurred at approximately 7:00 a.m. on the Kolpino Highway in the Shushary area of the city's Pushkinsky district, Euronews reported. The blast severely damaged the vehicle and shattered the windows of a passing bus. Russian news outlet Fontanka reported that an explosive device placed beneath the vehicle was remotely detonated as the driver drove away. Fontanka identified the victim as a colonel who served as chief navigator of the 6th Air and Air Defence Army, and added that a family member was nearby. [1]

Saint Petersburg is the second-largest city in Russia and is located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city was previously known as Petrograd and Leningrad. As FTMQ News reported earlier, Saint Petersburg was previously targeted by a Ukrainian drone strike in October 2026 that killed one person and set fire to an oil refinery. [8][13]

Separate reporting by Voice of the Emirates noted that Russian security services arrested four individuals accused of spying for Ukraine on the same day as the blast. Authorities have not publicly announced any suspects or official motives in the car explosion inquiry. [1][6]