Russian authorities announced on Friday that Colonel General Yaroslav Moskalyk, Deputy Chief of the General Staff’s Operations Directorate, was killed in a car bomb explosion in Balashikha, a suburb east of Moscow.

According to the Investigative Committee of Russia, an improvised explosive device had been planted inside the vehicle, which detonated as Moskalyk approached it, killing him instantly. A criminal investigation has been launched, though no suspects or motives have yet been confirmed.

The incident comes just months after the assassination of Colonel General Igor Kirillov, head of Russia’s Chemical and Biological Defense Forces, in a similar explosion in Moscow in December. Russian officials at the time accused Ukrainian operatives of orchestrating the attack.

This latest event has heightened concerns over internal security, as Russia continues its military operations in Ukraine and faces growing risks of targeted attacks against high-ranking military figures on its own soil.