A car has exploded into flames outside a top secret computing centre linked to Vladimir Putin's presidential executive office in Moscow. The mystery blast left a Mercedes ML350 badly damaged, with grey smoke pouring out of the vehicle as it appeared to be gutted by the fire.
Emergency Services Respond to Blast at Secret Facility
The incident occurred on Ryabinovaya Street, approximately nine miles west of the Kremlin, where the IT structure provides high-tech support for Putin and his government. Emergency services raced to the scene to extinguish the blaze, which sent bright orange flames erupting at the explosion site.
Initial reports indicate the blast originated inside the car, which was unoccupied at the time. There is no information yet on the identity of the car's owner or the cause of the explosion. Authorities have confirmed no casualties from this incident.
Context of Previous Car Explosions in Moscow
This event follows two fatal car explosions that rocked the Russian capital in December last year. On December 24, three people, including two police officers, were killed in a car blast in Moscow, according to Russia's investigative committee.
The explosion occurred after two police officers approached a man acting suspiciously near the scene of an earlier car blast. That prior incident, on December 22, killed Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, a senior general from Russia's General Staff army operational directorate, when his car erupted while he was on his way to work.
The December 24 blast took place very close to where Sarvarov died, as stated by committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko. The two officers killed were identified by the city's state traffic inspectorate as police lieutenants Ilya Klimanov, 24, and Maxim Gorbunov, 25. It was noted that Gorbunov is survived by a wife and a nine-month-old daughter.
The latest explosion outside Putin's secret IT centre adds to a series of concerning incidents in Moscow, though no injuries have been reported in this case. Investigations are ongoing to determine the cause and any potential links to previous events.
