A Russian military lieutenant colonel was killed in a car explosion in St. Petersburg, the local news outlet Fontanka reported Thursday.

The blast occurred around 10 a.m. local time near a supermarket in the Shushary neighborhood. The officer’s wife was also in the car and badly injured, Fontanka reported.

Investigators later confirmed the death of one person and hospitalization of another but described the incident only as a “vehicle fire,” not an explosion. They added that a criminal probe was underway.

Russia has accused Ukraine of carrying out several assassinations of military officers since the full-scale invasion. Ukrainian sources have claimed responsibility for some of the attacks while denying involvement in others.

There was no immediate comment from officials in Kyiv in response to Thursday’s reported blast.

This is a breaking news story.

Source:The Moscow Times