A senior officer in the Russian military's missile and artillery supply division died after a car bomb detonated near a residential area east of Moscow. The explosion occurred early Tuesday in Balashikha, with the driver killed instantly at the scene, according to Russian investigators.
Though Russian authorities have not officially released the victim’s identity, multiple media outlets and a Ukrainian official confirmed the deceased as Damir R. Davydov. He held a position within the Main Missile and Artillery Directorate of Russia’s armed forces. The Kremlin acknowledged that President Vladimir Putin was briefed on the incident but withheld further details citing an ongoing criminal investigation.
This incident aligns with a series of high-profile assassinations targeting top Russian military personnel within Moscow’s vicinity. Previous car bomb attacks claimed the lives of Maj. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, deputy chief of the General Staff’s main operational department, in April 2025 and Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, head of an army operational training directorate, last December. In December 2024, Igor Kirillov, a general overseeing Russia’s nuclear and chemical weapons defense, also died in a bombing near his residence.
The attacks highlight vulnerabilities within Russia’s security apparatus and have reportedly been linked to Ukrainian special services carrying out strikes on military and strategic targets. These actions have intensified following Ukrainian forces’ successful defense against Moscow’s planned summer offensive, alongside long-range strikes on Moscow and energy infrastructure across Russia.