Authorities named the victim as General-lieutenant Yaroslav Moskalik, deputy head of the main operational directorate of the military’s General Staff, which is in charge of army operations.

Kyiv had not commented on the attack, which bore the hallmarks of previous assassinations of military figures and high-profile backers of the Kremlin’s offensive over the last three years.

Ukraine has called some of them “legitimate targets” and sees the attacks as retribution for Moscow’s military campaign, which has resulted in tens of thousands of people killed.

Russia’s Investigative Committee said it had opened a murder probe after a Volkswagen Golf blew up outside a block of flats in the town of Balashikha, east of Moscow.

“Our military figure was killed as a result of a terrorist attack,” Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

The general’s body lay on the ground close to the front door of a block of flats and a few metres from the charred remains of a white car whose rear section was torn away, footage from the scene posted by the Investigative Committee showed.

Several investigators were working at the scene.

Police had cordoned off the site on Friday, with ambulances surrounding the area, an AFP reporter saw.

A body lying on the ground could be seen from the upper floors of surrounding buildings.

Locals said they heard a loud blast at around 10:45 a.m. (0745 GMT).

“The explosion was very strong, it even gave me heart pain,” Lyudmila, a 50-year-old who lives nearby told AFP.

– ‘Improvised explosive device’ –

=================================

The killing appeared similar to previous attacks claimed by Kyiv on figures linked to Russia’s three-year offensive on the country.

Ukraine’s secret services said last December it was behind the assassination of the head of the Russian military’s chemical weapons department.

A remotely operated bomb attached to a scooter had exploded as he left an apartment block in Moscow.

Security camera footage posted by the Izvestia newspaper of Friday’s blast showed a massive explosion, sending fragments flying into the air. The blast happens just as someone can be seen walking towards the car.

The “blast was caused by the triggering of an improvised explosive device” packed with metal fragments designed to cause maximum harm, investigators said.

The Agentstvo investigative news site, citing leaked information, said Moskalik lived in Balashikha, but the Volkswagen was not registered to him.

Russian Telegram channels with links to law enforcement posted unconfirmed reports that the car had been purchased a few months ago by a man from the Ukrainian city of Sumy.

They wrote that it had been parked outside the block of flats for a few days and was equipped with a camera.

TASS reported that Moskalik was 59.

According to the Kremlin website, he had represented the Russian military at ceasefire talks with Ukraine in 2015 amid the conflict between Kyiv and Russian-backed separatists.

– ‘Serious blunders’ –

======================

Russian President Vladimir Putin made Moskalik general-lieutenant in 2021.

The department where he is deputy chief was described as “a key link in planning operations in Ukraine,” by the independent Vazhniye Istorii outlet.

Russians linked to Moscow’s military offensive in Ukraine had been targeted in attacks over the last three years.

They include the August 2022 car bombing of nationalist Darya Dugina and an explosion in a Saint Petersburg cafe in April 2023 that killed high-profile military correspondent Maxim Fomin, known as Vladlen Tatarsky.

Kyiv has in some cases claimed responsibility or revelled in the attacks.

It has not commented on Friday’s attack.

After the December killing of Igor Kirillov, the military’s chemical weapons chief, Putin made a rare admission of failings by his powerful security agencies.

“We must not allow such very serious blunders to happen,” he said.

The funeral of Pope Francis is scheduled for Saturday in Italy and will be livestreamed on various platforms in several languages. 

Funeral Rites Of Pope Francis

The Pope had passed away this week on April 21 at the age of 88. According to reports, a series of funeral rites for Pope Francis have already begun, and his funeral will be held in St. Peter’s Square on April 26, Saturday, five days after he died. 

His death was announced by the Vatican, and until Pope Francis’ funeral his casket has been kept in St. Peter’s Basilica so that people can pay their respects. 

Where To Watch Pope Francis’ Funeral

As per media reports, the official news outlet of the Holy See, the Vatican News, will stream the coverage of Pope Francis’ funeral beginning at 1:30 pm IST on Saturday. The livestream of the funeral will also be available on its official YouTube channel. The livestream will be available in English, French, Italian, Portuguese, German, and Spanish. 

India Mourns Pope Francis’ Death

The official X handle of the President of India posted that President Droupadi Murmu departed for the Vatican City to attend the state funeral of Pope Francis. 

“President Droupadi Murmu departs for Vatican City to attend the State Funeral of Pope Francis. She is accompanied by Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs, Kiren Rijiju; Minister of State for Minority Affairs and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri George Kurian; and Deputy Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly, Joshua De Souza,” the post read. 

The Ministry of Home Affairs, in a statement, informed that on the day of Pope Francis’ funeral, the national flag of India will be flown at half-mast throughout the country in all buildings where the flag is flown regularly.

In the statement, the Ministry said, “The funeral of His Holiness Pope Francis, Supreme Pontiff of the Holy See, will be held on 26th April, 2025. The State Mourning shall be observed on that day. On 26th April, 2025, the National Flag will be flown at Half Mast throughout India on all buildings where the National Flag is flown regularly, and there will be no official entertainment.”