Russian military serviceman killed in St Petersburg car blast

This is the latest in a series of blasts targeting military personnel and others linked to Russia’s war on Ukraine.A Russian military serviceman has been killed in a “car fire” in St Petersburg, authorities said.The man was killed, and his wife was injured, when their car exploded in the Pushkinsky suburb on the outskirts of St Petersburg on Thursday, the city’s branch of the Investigative Committee said.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Ukraine’s offensive against Russia causes petrol panic across Central Asialist 2 of 3Russia to seize poorly protected infrastructure amid Ukraine drone attackslist 3 of 3Kremlin adviser warns UK drone factories could face attacksend of listIt did not identify the man or give his rank.The online Fontanka newspaper in Russia’s second-largest city identified the ⁠man as a lieutenant colonel, a 53-year-old high-ranking military officer, and said he died instantly or shortly after the vehicle’s engine started.Ukrainska Pravda, a Ukrainian news website, claimed that the lieutenant was serving within Russia’s Air Force and Air and Missile Defence units under the Aerospace Forces.The blast took place at approximately 10am local time (07:00 GMT), according to witnesses, who also added that the explosion completely wrecked the car.“Currently, investigators and forensic experts, together with operational services, are examining the scene,” the Russian Investigative Committee said on Telegram.The committee also formally opened a criminal probe, but they initially labelled the incident a vehicle fire rather than officially confirming an explosive device.Moscow has accused Kyiv of assassination attempts against a number of top Russian military officials amid the Ukraine war. Kyiv has claimed responsibility in some instances, while denying involvement in others.Al Jazeera correspondent Yulia Shapovalova, reporting from Moscow, said that this latest death is “one in a series of assassinations” of high-ranking Russian military figures.