Car Bomb Kills Russian Colonel in St. Petersburg

A senior Russian military officer was killed Thursday when his car was blown apart by an explosive device in St. Petersburg, Reuters reported, citing Russian media.

The Sun and the Daily Mail, both citing Russian reports, identified the dead man as a colonel and said his wife was fighting for her life after the blast.

The Daily Mail reported the officer died instantly when the device destroyed his Chinese-made Geely car at 10 a.m. local time on Kolpinskoye Highway.

What the reports say

Reuters described the victim only as a Russian serviceman killed in an explosion in St. Petersburg, attributing the account to media reports.

The Sun reported that the colonel's vehicle was destroyed by an "improvised explosive device" and that his wife's legs were blown off in the explosion.

The Daily Mail reported that the blast severed the officer's legs as he drove.

The Frank has not independently verified the officer's identity or rank. No group has been named as responsible in the reports available.

Why it matters to Americans

Targeted killings of Russian military figures inside Russia have become a recurring feature of the war in Ukraine, a conflict Washington has spent years funding and negotiating over.

Each strike deep inside Russian cities raises the same question for U.S. policymakers: how far the war travels beyond the front line.