A pro-Russian paramilitary leader from eastern Ukraine, Armen Sarkisyan, was killed on Monday when a bomb tore through parts of a luxury apartment block in Moscow, state news agency TASS and other Russian media reported.
TASS called the bombing a well-planned assassination.
The bomb detonated just as Sarkisyan, accompanied by his bodyguards, entered the basement of the "Scarlet Sails" complex on the banks of the Moskva River just 12 km (7 miles) from the Kremlin, according to Russian media.
One bodyguard was killed and three more injured, Kommersant newspaper said.
"The assassination attempt on Sarkisyan was carefully planned and was ordered. Investigators are currently identifying those who ordered the crime," TASS quoted a law enforcement official as saying.
Baza, a Telegram channel with contacts in Russia's security services, published video showing major damage to the building's lobby.
In December, Ukraine's SBU security service described Sarkisyan as a crime boss in the Donetsk region, much of which has been controlled by Moscow since 2014, and said that he was officially suspected of participating in and aiding "illegal armed groups".
It said he had formed a pro-Russian military unit made up of local convict fighters and had organised purchases of supplies for frontline units.
Mediazona, an independent Russian outlet that covers law enforcement, reported that Armenian-born Sarkisyan had been a longtime organised crime figure in the Donetsk region city of Horlivka.
In 2022, it said, he founded a pro-Russian paramilitary unit composed mostly of his fellow ethnic Armenians to fight against Kyiv's forces.
In December, Ukraine took credit for the killing of Russian General Igor Kirillov in a bomb blast outside a Moscow apartment building. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine on Monday's blast.
One person was killed and four injured in an explosion at a residential building in northwest Moscow, with the cause still unclear, Russian state media reported.
Russian airline Utair made an emergency landing at Moscow's Vnukovo Airport on Tuesday, Russia's RIA news agency reported.
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President Donald Trump has signed an executive order withdrawing the US from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and prohibiting any future funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for the Near East (UNRWA), the agency which provides relief for Palestinian refugees.
Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan has called for a fresh start in relations with Azerbaijan, highlighting progress in peace talks and mutual recognition of territorial integrity.
A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia’s North Maluku early Tuesday, with no tsunami warning issued, Xinhua reports.
Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania, and Hungary will build a direct high-voltage submarine cable connecting the South Caucasus region with the European Union, with a purpose to strengthen national and regional energy security.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for February 5th, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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