On Tuesday, June 9, 2026, a man was killed in a bomb attack on a BMW X3 car on Koldunova Street in the Aviators’ District of the town of Balashikha. Although the authorities have not yet disclosed his identity, media leaks suggest he was a 62-year-old lieutenant general of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
Photos: ASTRA via Telegram
The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation reported that the attacker used around 300–400 grams of TNT, with the charge placed under the driver’s seat. The perpetrator is being sought by the services. Criminal proceedings have been launched under Articles 105 and 222.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation: murder and illegal trafficking in explosives.
According to sources linked to the security services, the victim died at the scene before an ambulance arrived, from shrapnel wounds to the chest from the back. The charge detonated shortly after the engine was started and the vehicle began moving at around 05:30 local time, near building No. 10.
According to the ASTRA channel, the victim was a 62-year-old lieutenant general. This is all the more plausible as the Aviators’ District in Balashikha is known as a residential area for many Russian officers and their families. According to reports, the car that exploded had been purchased by the victim less than two years earlier.
Meanwhile, according to eyewitnesses, an unknown man had allegedly been seen loitering near the car shortly before the attack. They described him as around 170–175 cm tall, of slim build, with a beard and carrying a backpack. After the explosion, the man reportedly left the area quickly. Law enforcement authorities are investigating his possible involvement in the attack.
The Aviators’ District was originally built as a residential area for military personnel. The first stage of construction, completed in 2011–2013, including the building at 10 Koldunova Street, built in 2011, was allocated by the Housing Department of the Ministry of Defense to retired soldiers, war veterans, and families of pilots, cosmonauts, and submariners from across the country.
Russian generals killed in attacks
As the ASTRA channel noted, the attack took place only around 400 meters from the site where, on April 25, 2025, General Yaroslav Moskalik, Deputy Chief of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, was killed in the explosion of a Volkswagen Golf passenger car.
On December 22, 2025, Major General Fanil Sarvarov of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces was killed in Moscow when his car was blown up.
Earlier, on December 17, 2024, in southeastern Moscow, an explosive charge planted in an electric scooter standing next to the entrance to a residential building was detonated. Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, commander of Russia’s Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defense Troops, was killed in the incident along with his assistant. The operation to eliminate him was carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine.
In addition, on June 12, 2023, Russian Major General Sergei Goryachev was killed in Zaporizhzhia Oblast in an attack on a command post.
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