A traffic police officer was killed and two others injured in an explosion in central Moscow early Tuesday, Russian authorities reported. The incident occurred near a police patrol vehicle stationed at Savyolovsky Train Station Square shortly after midnight local time.
According to a statement from the Moscow branch of the Interior Ministry, an unidentified assailant detonated an explosive device adjacent to the patrol car. The officer killed was identified as 34-year-traditional Senior Police Lieutenant Denis Bratuschenko, a senior inspector in the traffic police who had been with the force since 2019. He is survived by his wife and two children, ministry spokesperson Irina Volk stated.
Initial reports indicated a potential fleeing suspect, but investigators later determined the attacker died at the scene, according to the Interior Ministry. The Kyiv Independent reported that preliminary investigations suggested an unidentified man threw an “unknown explosive device” at the vehicle before filming the incident.
Savyolovsky Station is a major railway hub serving routes north of the Russian capital. The explosion took place as officers were patrolling the area. Authorities have opened a criminal case against the perpetrator for attempted murder of a law enforcement officer and related charges concerning the explosive device, and are working to determine the circumstances surrounding the attack.
The two injured officers were hospitalized with unspecified injuries. No motive for the attack has been established, and officials have not released further details regarding the type of explosive device used. The incident occurred on the same day that law enforcement facilities in Ukraine were targeted in a series of blasts, though authorities have not indicated any connection between the two events.
