Two traffic police officers and a civilian have been killed following an explosion on a street in Moscow, according to Russian authorities.
The blast occurred on Yeletskaya Street after officers reportedly approached a man they considered suspicious near a police vehicle. As they attempted to detain him, an explosive device was triggered, leading to fatal injuries.
Russia’s Investigative Committee confirmed that the two officers died at the scene alongside another individual who was nearby at the time of the explosion. The officers were later identified by local media as 24-year-old Ilya Klimanov and 25-year-old Maxim Gorbunov. Investigators said a criminal case has been opened into what they described as an attempted attack on traffic police officers in the capital.
The incident has heightened concern because it happened close to the location of a recent car bombing that killed senior Russian military officer Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov earlier in the week. While Russian officials have accused Ukraine of involvement in that earlier attack, Kyiv has not commented, and authorities have not confirmed whether the two explosions are connected. The latest blast adds to a growing number of bomb-related attacks targeting security and military figures in Moscow over the past year.
