A pro-Russia paramilitary leader, along with one of his bodyguards, was killed in a bomb blast at a luxury apartment block in Moscow. The explosion targeted Armen Sarkisyan, accused by Kyiv of assisting Russian forces in Ukraine. Although initial reports suggested Sarkisyan had died on the scene, he was later confirmed to have succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. Law enforcement indicated that the attack was a planned assassination attempt, as Russia grapples with a troubling series of violent incidents since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
"The assassination attempt on Sarkisyan was carefully planned and was ordered. Investigators are currently identifying those who ordered the crime," stated a law enforcement official.
Media reports initially suggested that Sarkisyan had died in the attack, but later said he had been taken to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Since the onset of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has seen a string of assassinations and explosions, including the death of General Igor Kirillov in December.
In December, Ukraine’s SBU security service labeled Sarkisyan a 'crime boss' in the Donetsk region, claiming he aided illegal armed groups.
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