A senior Russian military satellite commander has had his feet torn off in a car bombing in Moscow.
Andrei Torgashov, 50, a colonel, and his wife Maya got into his Toyota Land Cruiser Prado near his home on Sinyavinskaya Street in the north of Moscow when it exploded in a suspected assassination bid.
The colonel, who is thought to be a GRU military intelligence officer, was reported to be in a ‘grave’ condition following surgery to amputate both legs after the explosion, according to Tsargrad media. His wife also suffered lacerations to her face.
Footage shows the carnage immediately after the explosion, which was just yards away from a children’s playground.
It comes after it was revealed that at least 12 Russian soldiers were killed and another 30 are said to have been hospitalised after eating watermelons poisoned by Ukrainian resistance fighters in an occupied city.
Russian law enforcement suspects the blast in the Russian capital city is linked to the war in Ukraine
Andrei Torgashov (pictured) is the deputy head of military unit 33790, the top secret 89th Satellite Communications Centre of the Russian Armed Forces
The 50-year-old was rushed to hospital following the explosion and had both his legs amputated
An initial police assessment found that the cause of the explosion in the Toyata was a ‘detonation of an object installed in the car’
Exhaust fumes and engine parts can be seen in a video scattered across the ground as people stand by in the residential area.
Both the colonel and his wife were wounded and pulled out of the car by a passerby who gave first aid.
They were then rushed by ambulance to hospital to receive treatment.
A witness said: ‘The explosion was very strong. The man’s feet were torn off, burned, he was lying all charred.’
The witness also claimed that it appeared there had been a device in the car.
The colonel’s wife was not seriously wounded. ‘She was concussed, her face was hit by shrapnel,’ the witness added.
A new video appears to show the moment a bomb was placed under the military officer’s car by a man in a light-coloured hoodie.
In the aftermath, people are seen helping the wounded commander who managed to give himself first aid, using a shirt to bandage his legs.
After planting the explosive device, the man stayed in a nearby children’s playground for 11 minutes “reporting to his handlers”, according to Russian reports citing law enforcement.
Another look at the debris surrounding the car, which was just yards away from a children’s playground (pictured top left)
Members of the community stand around the exploded car which occured on Sinyavinskaya Street in the north of Moscow
Torgashov’s wife Maya also suffered lacerations to her face following the explosion
The 50-year-old has a crucial role in managing and maintaining stable communication within the missile troops and various command posts
He also plays a key part in organising Russia’s missiles in their war effort
An aerial look at Torgashov, who receives treatment after being the victim of a suspected assassination attempt
Russian law enforcement suspects the blast in the Russian capital city is linked to the war in Ukraine.
The commander is deputy head of military unit 33790, the top secret 89th Satellite Communications Centre of the Russian Armed Forces, which is connected to Russian Strategic Rocket Forces, and is a transmitting radio centre for secret military satellite communications.
This is crucial for managing and maintaining stable communication within the missile troops and between various command posts. It also has links to Russia’s nuclear missiles as well as Putin’s overall war effort.
The cause of the Toyota Prado explosion was classed as ‘detonation of an object installed in the car,’ according to an initial police assessment.
Police Major-General Irina Volk said: ‘Officers are establishing the circumstances of the crime committed in the north of Moscow.’
They were conducting ‘operational-search measures aimed at establishing all the circumstances of the incident, as well as the detention of persons involved in the commission of the offence.’
