Russian serviceman killed in St. Petersburg car blast

Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case into the death of a serviceman killed in a car explosion in the Shushary area of St. Petersburg on November 12. The committee said investigators and forensic specialists were examining the scene and conducting forensic examinations. The case is being investigated as murder; no suspect or motive has been announced in the reports reviewed.

The blast occurred at about 7 a.m. local time, according to local reporting. The location was identified as the Pushkinsky district, near Kolpinskoye Highway. Reports said the serviceman was driving when the explosion occurred. The Investigative Committee confirmed the death and the investigation but did not publicly name the victim.

Fontanka reported that the serviceman was a colonel. Reuters said it could not independently verify that rank. A separate report suggested the victim might be Dmitry Lobodin, 57, described as chief navigator of Russia’s 6th Air and Air Defence Army, but that identification has not been confirmed by authorities. The reports do not establish who carried out the bombing.

Images described in reporting showed investigators at the scene and a damaged vehicle. One...