Russian colonel is killed by car bomb in St Petersburg in suspected Ukrainian hit

Published: 03:02 EST, 12 November 2026 | Updated: 03:15 EST, 12 November 2026 A Russian colonel was killed in a car bombing in St Petersburg earlier today.The blast occurred on Kolpinsky Prospekt while the commander was driving his SUV.A remote-controlled explosive device had been attached to the vehicle's underside, according to Russian news outlet Fontanka.The bomb detonated as the vehicle left the courtyard of a residential building.Initial reports said a second person in the car – a family member – was wounded in the explosion but later Fontanka reported that the colonel was alone.TV channel 78 reported that the dead colonel was the chief navigator of the 6th Air and Air Defence Army – a senior figure in Vladimir Putin's air force.The slain officer was not initially named.There will be immediate suspicions that Ukraine's secret services are behind the attack. A deafening boom can be heard as the bomb explodes, lighting up the night sky A Russian colonel has been killed in a car bomb explosion in St Petersburg in what is believed to be a Ukraine-orchestrated attack Russia has blamed Ukraine for several car bombings that have targeted senior military figuresFootage shows the explosion in Shushary, in the city's Pushkin district.Traffic was blocked near the explosion as emergency services rushed to the scene.Russia has blamed Ukrainian secret services for a succession of car bombings targeting military and security figures.In August Lieutenant Colonel Sergei Sechkov, 43, from Russia's Aerospace Forces, was killed in a car bomb explosion in St Petersburg.His legs were blown off and he died at the scene, according to reports.His wife Anna survived the bombing.Pro-war Telegram channel Voevoda said today: 'Another vehicle blown up. Another terrorist attack targeting a service member.'Relevant authorities—are you actually going to do anything about this?'I'm not even talking about a reciprocal response. But what about basic protection, at the very least?'The latest explosion – another blow to Putin – came as US peace negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow for talks with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.The Russian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case 'into the murder of a military officer'.The 6th Guards Air Force and Air Defence Army is one of Russia's most strategically important aviation formations, responsible for protecting the skies over St Petersburg and vast stretches of the country's northwestern frontier with Nato.Its aircraft and air defence systems operate across a region extending towards the Arctic and the Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad.Units have also participated in Putin's war against Ukraine.