A senior Russian military officer responsible for supplying ammunition to Vladimir Putin’s forces in Ukraine has reportedly been killed in a car bombing near Moscow, in the latest apparent breach of the Kremlin’s increasingly strained domestic security apparatus.
Col Damir Davydov, who headed the Russian Defence Ministry’s missile and artillery ammunition command, died when his BMW exploded in the Moscow suburb of Balashikha during the early hours of Tuesday morning, according to Russian investigative outlet The Insider.
The blast occurred in a military residential district less than a mile from the scene of another high-profile assassination that shocked Russia’s military establishment last year.
Russian authorities confirmed that a criminal investigation had been launched following the explosion but initially declined to identify the victim, fuelling intense speculation across pro-Kremlin Telegram channels.
Early reports suggested the victim could have been a senior officer in Russia’s Aerospace Forces before investigators reportedly established Davydov’s identity.
The explosion, estimated to have been equivalent to around 400 grams of TNT, is the latest in a string of mysterious attacks targeting military figures inside Russia since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The attack is likely to send fresh alarm through Moscow’s military and intelligence circles.
RUSSIA
🇷🇺 MOSCOW BLAST Moment car bomb blows up ‘senior Russian military officer’ in Moscow a year after blast kills top general in same city
June 9, 2026
THIS is the shocking moment a car bomb blows up a suspected senior #Russian military officer in #Moscow – one year after… pic.twitter.com/C2pEkYPIK3
— Sid (@Trending_Sid) June 9, 2026
Balashikha’s Aviatorov district was originally constructed to house military personnel and their families, with many properties allocated through the Ministry of Defence to serving officers, veterans and relatives.
The district is regarded as one of the capital’s more secure military communities.
Yet it was also the location of a similar attack last year in which Lt Gen Yaroslav Moskalik was killed in a car bombing.
That assassination formed part of a series of attacks that have claimed the lives of several senior Russian officers during the war.
The latest explosion will raise uncomfortable questions about the ability of Russian security services to protect senior military personnel even deep inside Russian territory.
Davydov occupied a strategically important position within the Russian military machine.
As head of missile and artillery ammunition supply, he oversaw the delivery of critical munitions to Russian forces fighting across the front lines in Ukraine.
Artillery remains central to Russia’s military strategy, with Moscow continuing to rely heavily on massed firepower to sustain offensive operations.
Any disruption to that supply network carries potential implications for battlefield operations, although there is no indication the attack will have an immediate effect on Russian military capabilities.
Despite widespread speculation, there is currently no public evidence linking Ukraine to the bombing.
Ukrainian authorities have not commented on the incident, while Russian investigators have yet to identify those responsible.
The attack nevertheless comes as Ukraine continues to intensify long-range strikes against Russian military infrastructure, logistics routes and defence assets far behind the front lines.
The FSB has reportedly strengthened security measures around senior military officers amid growing fears that individuals connected to Russia’s war effort are increasingly being targeted.
For the Kremlin, the killing represents another reminder that while the war may be fought hundreds of miles away in Ukraine, its consequences are being felt ever more sharply inside Russia itself.
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