Car bombings in Russia kill military officer, injure ex-Ukraine PM adviser

The explosion on Friday targeted Sergei Zavorotnyi, a 72-year-old former journalist who worked as an adviser to former Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov. The device was planted under his car and detonated remotely as he was driving, leaving him with a lost left arm and multiple injuries in a coma.

Azarov, who also lives in Russia, served as prime minister under Moscow-friendly President Viktor Yanukovych. He fled to Russia in February 2014 after Yanukovych was forced from office by protesters.

A day earlier, a military serviceman was killed by a bomb in his vehicle in St Petersburg. Preliminary reports indicated the victim was a senior air force officer, though other Russian media identified him as a colonel.

In both cases, an explosive device was triggered remotely and planted under the car. The Investigative Committee has launched a criminal case into the Moscow explosion and did not identify suspects pending an inquiry.

Ukrainian authorities have not commented on either bombing. The incidents are the latest in a series of bombings and shootings targeting people involved in the fighting in Ukraine, with Moscow consistently blaming Kyiv for the violence.