A car exploded in the Slavyanka neighborhood of St. Petersburg's Pushkin district on the morning of August 27, killing a military officer with the rank of lieutenant colonel and seriously injuring his wife, according to the St. Petersburg outlet Fontanka. The man died at the scene; the woman was taken to intensive care.
The blast occurred around 10 a.m. near a Magnit grocery store on Kolpinskoye Shosse, as the vehicle was pulling away from a residential building. Preliminary reports indicate an improvised explosive device detonated inside the car. Fontanka reported that both spouses lost their legs in the explosion.
According to the Telegram channel Shot, the vehicle was a Chinese-made Geely crossover. The explosion happened immediately after the driver started the engine. The blast blew out the rear window, tore off the hood and rear bumper, and severely deformed the body, with debris scattered dozens of meters. The Telegram channel Ostorozhno, Novosti, citing eyewitnesses, reported that nearby parked cars were also damaged.
The outlet Agentstvo noted that the explosion occurred in a neighborhood that was actively built up with housing for military personnel. No official information about the identity of the deceased or the circumstances of the blast has been released.