Bombing at Moscow Apartment Complex Unleashes Fears of Resurgent Violence
A bomb explosion at an apartment complex in Moscow has left several dead and wounded, including Armen Sarkisian, the founder of a battalion fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine. The incident, which occurred on February 3 at the Alye Parusa complex, is part of a disturbing trend of violent occurrences in the city that evoke memories of gangland warfare from the 1990s.
Authorities reported that the device detonated around 9:45 AM local time, potentially having been delivered by courier. Sarkisian, who was seen walking toward a parking lot just before the blast, later succumbed to his injuries after being hospitalized in critical condition.
Witnesses describe a chaotic scene following the explosion, with law enforcement officials suggesting it may have been an assassination attempt, though there has been no claim of responsibility. Reports indicate that Sarkisian’s bodyguard, Oleg Kasperovich, was killed in the attack, and another was seriously injured.
Sarkisian is known for founding the ArBat battalion, which is now part of Redut, a Russian military intelligence-backed mercenary network. He has faced accusations from Ukrainian authorities regarding his role in the violent events during the Maidan protests of 2014 in Kyiv and is rumored to have ties to former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, who fled to Russia after the protests.
Prior to this latest attack, Sarkisian made headlines when he was detained in France in April 2018 while awaiting extradition to Ukraine, though he was released after two days. This bombing marks the second high-profile violent incident in recent months in Moscow. In December, a top general in Russia's chemical and biological weapons protection forces was killed in an explosion caused by an electric scooter outside his residence.
The recent surge in violence has residents on edge, bracing for a potential return to the street violence that characterized the tumultuous 90s in Russia. Authorities are continuing to investigate these incidents, hoping to quell public fears and restore a sense of safety in the capital.
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