- Sergei Zavorotniy, a former senior aide to Ukraine's exiled Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, was severely injured in a car bomb explosion in southern Moscow on Friday morning.
- Zavorotniy was reported to be in an induced coma after losing his left arm in the blast, which also caused a concussion and fractured ribs.
- Russia's Investigative Committee has launched a criminal investigation into the explosion.
- Zavorotniy served as a spokesman and adviser to Azarov, who fled to Russia in 2014 after Ukraine's Maidan revolution toppled pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych.
- The explosion in Moscow follows a car bomb attack in St Petersburg that killed a senior Russian military official just a day earlier.
- Zavorotniy has been identified as an officer of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) involved in influence operations, according to a 2020 report by the US Senate Select Committee.
Sergei Zavorotniy, a former aide to pro-Russian ex-PM Mykola Azarov, was severely injured in a car bomb explosion in Moscow on Friday. The 72-year-old lost his left arm and suffered multiple injuries, including a concussion and fractured ribs, and is currently in an induced coma.12
The Investigative Committee of Russia has launched a criminal probe into the incident, which follows another car bomb attack in St Petersburg that killed a senior Russian military official. This series of attacks underscores the ongoing violence and instability in Russia, nearly five years into the war in Ukraine.5
Zavorotniy, who served as a spokesman and adviser to Azarov, has been identified in a 2020 US Senate report as an officer of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), involved in influence operations. Azarov, who fled to Russia in 2014 after the Maidan revolution, confirmed Zavorotniy's survival but had no further details about the attack.4
The recent attacks in heavily policed cities like Moscow and St Petersburg raise concerns about security and potential assassination attempts against individuals linked to the ongoing conflict. Ukrainian sources have claimed responsibility for some attacks while denying involvement in others, but Kyiv has not commented on these latest incidents.
“The blast occurred a day after a car bomb in St Petersburg killed a Russian air force colonel, and Ukraine has not commented on either attack. Zavorotniy, 72, lost his left arm and was in an induced coma, according to Russian media.”
The Guardian
