Russian Emergencies Ministry firefighters, police officers and investigators work at the site of an explosion at the Alye Parusa (Scarlet Sails) residential complex in northwestern Moscow, Russia, 03 February 2025. An unidentified device exploded in the lobby of a 29-story building in the Scarlet Sails residential complex on Aviatsionnaya Street, killing one person and injuring four others, Russian state media reported. Among the injured was Armen Sargsyan, also known as Armen Gorlovsky, the Moscow Interior Ministry reported. Sargsyan headed the 'Boxing Federation of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR)' and was the founder of one of the volunteer battalions operating in areas of the Russia so-called 'special military operation' in Ukraine. EPA-EFE/YURI KOCHETKOV The bomb detonated just as a man with bodyguards entered the lobby of the the "Scarlet Sails" complex on the banks of the Moskva River just 12 km (7 miles) from the Kremlin, according to Russian media.
TASS, citing law enforcement services, called the blast an "assassination attempt" and identified the suspected target as Armen Sarkisyan, who is accused by Ukraine of aiding Russia's war effort in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk.
RIA, another state news agency, cited law enforcement as saying that Sarkisyan was in a critical condition, and that part of his leg was being amputated.
"The assassination attempt on Sarkisyan was carefully planned and was ordered. Investigators are currently identifying those who ordered the crime," TASS quoted a law enforcement official as saying.
Baza, a Telegram channel with contacts in Russia's security services, published video showing major damage to the lobby of the building. It said Sarkisyan had been seriously wounded in the blast. Reuters could not immediately confirm that report.
In December, Ukraine's SBU security service described Sarkisyan as a "crime boss" in the Donetsk region, much of which has been controlled by Moscow since 2014, and that he was officially suspected of participating in and aiding "illegal armed groups".
It said he had formed a pro-Russian military formation made up of local convict fighters and had organised purchases of supplies for frontline units.
In December, Ukraine took credit for the killing of Russian General Igor Kirillov in a bomb blast outside a Moscow apartment building. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine on Monday's blast.
(Writing by Felix Light; editing by Gareth Jones)