In the early hours of Wednesday morning, a car bomb went off in the northern part of the Russian capital, Moscow.
The car belonged to a high-ranking Russian military intelligence officer working for the Defense Ministry. He, along with his wife, was severely injured in the bombing.
Now police have reported a new development in the case.
The man suspected of planting the bomb under the officer's car has been arrested in absentia by a Moscow court after fleeing to Turkey.
The capital's court's press service confirmed the arrest of Yevgeny Serebryakov, who has been charged with the illegal acquisition and possession of firearms, as well as the attempted contract killing of two or more people.
Details of the Incident
Serebryakov is believed to have flown to Turkey immediately after placing an explosive device under a Toyota Land Cruiser in northern Moscow early Wednesday morning.
Security footage from Telegram channel Mash shows a man in a light sweatshirt planting a bomb in the Land Cruiser at 2:28 a.m. before fleeing the scene.
The bomb detonated four hours later, severely injuring military officer Andrey Torgashov and his wife. Torgashov lost his feet in the blast, while his wife suffered shrapnel wounds.
Serebryakov was detained by Turkish police in the city of Bodrum on Wednesday afternoon.
Victim Identification
There was initial confusion regarding the victims' identities, as another military officer with the same name, Andrey Torgashov, and his wife initially denied being the victims of the attack.
It was later clarified that another military officer with the same name and his wife were indeed the ones injured in the explosion.
Authorities are exploring multiple explanations for the incident, including sabotage by the Ukrainian secret services, domestic conflict, and a possible connection to Torgashov’s business interests.
A source told state-owned broadcaster RT that these avenues are being investigated.
