A senior Russian military colonel was killed in a car bombing outside Moscow after an explosive device planted under his BMW detonated near his home, according to local media reports.
Damir Davydov, described as the Kremlin’s top artillery chief, died after the blast erupted around 5:30 a.m. Tuesday near his home in Balashikha, a city just outside Moscow.
Surveillance footage shared by Russian media appeared to show the vehicle bursting into flames before slamming into a parked car.
Screenshot- X- Damir Davydov
Bystanders rushed to pull Davydov from the burning wreckage, but he later died from his injuries, Telegram channel Mash reported.
Russian Telegram channel 112 reported that the explosive device had been planted under the driver’s seat and detonated remotely.
The device reportedly had a yield equivalent to 300 to 400 grams of TNT.
The Kremlin confirmed Wednesday that an explosion had taken place and said President Vladimir Putin had been briefed on the incident.
But Russian officials offered few details and would not publicly identify the victim.
“An explosion took place, but the details, as you understand, are not subject to disclosure in connection with the investigation that is underway,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
“Of course, this is a matter for our special services.”
A car explosion in Balashikha near Moscow killed Russian Colonel Damir Davydov, according to multiple Russian sources. Davydov reportedly headed procurement of missile and artillery ammunition within the Main Missile and Artillery Directorate (GRAU) of the Russian Defense… pic.twitter.com/S3ZAcuQNCj
— NOELREPORTS
(@NOELreports) June 9, 2026
Russian investigators have reportedly opened a criminal case into the deadly blast.
The explosion happened less than a mile from where Yaroslav Moskalik, another senior Russian military official, was killed in a car bombing in April 2025, independent outlet Astra reported.
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The latest blast marks another brazen attack on a high-profile Russian military figure nearly four years after Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine’s military intelligence service, which has targeted dozens of senior Russian military officials, has not commented on Davydov’s death.
Kyiv has previously claimed responsibility for attacks on Russian military officers inside Russia.
The bombing is likely to deepen anxiety inside Moscow’s security establishment, where senior military figures have increasingly found themselves vulnerable far from the battlefield.
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