Importance Score: 75 / 100 🔴
Explosions Rock Moscow Business District: Car Explosion in Shopping Mall Car Park
Three loud explosions were reported at a Moscow shopping center located in the central business district after a vehicle reportedly detonated in the parking area. This incident raises concerns amid ongoing tensions.
Videos disseminated by Russian media outlets depicted plumes of black smoke emerging from the area near skyscrapers along the Moskva River.
The underlying cause of the blast and if the vehicle was occupied remain undetermined. Initial reports suggest anything from a possible car explosion to a fuel cylinder mishap.
Emergency Response and Initial Findings
Firefighters have extinguished the subsequent blaze. However, SHOT news agency reported that the observed explosions stemmed from pressurized fuel cylinders.
Videos posted by various Russian media outlets showed black smoke billowing among the district’s skyscrapers on the banks of the Moskva River
The cause of the explosion and whether anyone was in the vehicle at the time is unclear
Investigation Underway
Authorities are probing the explosions, with preliminary reports indicating that sabotage or terrorism have not been dismissed as potential causes.
The subterranean parking area where the explosion occurred is sited within the Moscow City business district.
Recent Incidents and Context
The incident follows a similar occurrence just a day prior at a Russian ammunition depot to the east of Moscow.
The Russian military attributed that blast to ammunition detonation after a fire erupted within the storage facility resulting from a “breach of safety regulations.”
There were no fatalities from the event at the ammo depot. The site is thought to have been a critical ammunitions storage site for the Russian army.
‘The Main Directorate of the Russian Emergencies Ministry for the city of Moscow received a message about a fire on Presnenskaya Embankment,’ the Ministry of Emergency Situations said after the initial explosion.
‘A car is burning in the underground parking lot of an administrative building.’
Moscow has experienced car bombings and other attacks since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022.
Past Attacks in Moscow
- In late 2022, a car bombing just outside of Moscow resulted in the death of Darya Dugina, an ultranationalist Russian and daughter of a Putin associate.
This is a developing story; further information will be provided as available.