ALBAWABA- A suicide bombing targeted a traffic police patrol vehicle near Savyolovsky Station Square in Moscow shortly after midnight on Tuesday, killing one officer and injuring two others, Russian authorities said.
The explosion also killed the suspected attacker, identified by Russia’s Investigative Committee as a 22-year-old man from the Udmurt Republic. Investigators said he had traveled by train from St. Petersburg to Moscow on February 22, and authorities are retracing his movements in the days leading up to the blast.
The officer killed was 34-year-old Police Lieutenant Denis Bratuschenko, a senior traffic inspector who had served in the role since 2019. He is survived by his wife and two children. The two wounded officers were hospitalized in serious condition.
A criminal investigation has been opened on charges including the attempted murder of law enforcement personnel and illegal handling of explosives. Forensic teams are examining the scene and reviewing surveillance footage to determine whether the suspect acted alone.
President Vladimir Putin said preliminary information suggested the device may have been detonated remotely and that the suspect could have been recruited online. He pointed to what he described as heightened terrorist threats, which he largely attributed to Ukrainian intelligence services. No evidence has yet been publicly presented to confirm a motive, and no group has claimed responsibility.
The attack occurred on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a date that has seen increased security measures across major cities. It follows a similar incident in Moscow in December, when two traffic officers were killed in an explosion.
