The Monday bomb explosion that killed an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin may have been a suicide attack, according to Russian media reports on Tuesday that cited law enforcement sources.
Armen Sarkisyan, founder of the Ukrainian separatist group Arbat Battalion that fights for Russia, was killed in a grenade blast at an elite residential building in Moscow.
Why It Matters
Sarkisyan was an ally of Putin who fought against Kyiv. The paramilitary group he formed operates in Russia’s border region of Kursk and is made up of “repeat offenders convicted of serious crimes,” according to the Ukrainian special service.
The Arbat Battalion was formed in September 2022 and operates under the control of the Russian Ministry of Defense. It has been working in the Kursk region since the summer of 2024.
What To Know
Russian state media initially reported on Monday that Sarkisyan was badly wounded in an assassination attempt when an explosion went off at the first floor of an elite residential building in Moscow called “Scarlet Sails.”
According to reports, the explosive device went off when Sarkisyan entered the building with his security guards. The Russian state-run news agency Tass reported that one person was killed and four others were wounded in the blast.
RIA Novosti, another state-run news agency, reported on Monday that Sarkisyan survived the explosion but his leg would have to be amputated. Meanwhile, several Russian accounts on Telegram said Sarkisyan leg was blown off in the blast.
As Monday progressed, Russian outlets such as the newspapers Kommersant and Izvestia began reporting Sarkisyan had died.
While early unverified reports said the bomb may have been planted in a hallway at Scarlet Sails before the attack, the Russian news agency Interfax reported on Tuesday that the explosion was likely the work of a suicide bomber. Interfax said a law enforcement told them the bomber seemingly “detonated an explosive device that he brought with him.”
Kommersant cited law enforcement sources as saying surveillance footage allegedly showed an anti-personnel mine exploding near a man who interacted with Sarkisyan in the lobby.
Police sources cited by Russian outlets said the bomber is believed to have been an Armenian national who was possibly involved in a power struggle with Sarkisyan. Interfax noted that if any evidence links Ukraine to the incident, the case will then be investigated as a terrorist act.
What People Are Saying
Moscow’s regional investigative committee said in a Monday statement: “Investigators and forensic experts from the capital’s Investigative Committee, together with operational services, are examining the scene of the incident. Investigative actions and operational-search activities are being carried out aimed at establishing all the circumstances of the incident.”
The Interfax news agency reported a law enforcement official as saying: “The leading theory is that the explosion in the Scarlet Sails residential complex was committed by a suicide bomber.”
What Happens Next
The investigation into the explosion that killed Sarkisyan is ongoing.
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