Moscow under attack with explosion in residential complex: dead Armen Sargsyan, the leader of a pro-Russian militia

This morning Moscow was rocked by a powerful explosion in the luxury residential complex Alye Parusa, located northwest of the Russian capital. The explosion, which occurred at the entrance of a 29-story building, caused the death of at least two people, among which Armen Sargsyan, founder of the ArBat battalion and president of the Boxing Federation of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic.

According to initial reconstructions provided by Russian media, it was a targeted attack against Sargsyan, described by Ukrainian secret services as a "criminal boss” and a man close to pro-Russian former President Viktor Yanukovych.

The attack: explosion near the elevator

Russian investigative sources reported that a radio-controlled device was reportedly placed next to the building's elevator, causing such a blast that part of the ceiling collapsed. In addition to Sargsyan, his bodyguard also died, while At least four people were injured and hospitalized in serious conditions.

The images released by the Russian Investigative Committee show the severe damage inside the building, with glass doors shattered and ceilings torn off.

The Kremlin, through spokesman Dmitry Peskov, declared that “Russian secret services are working on the case", while Authorities have launched a criminal investigation into charges of premeditated murder and attempted murder of multiple people.

The figure of Armen Sargsyan

Armen Sargsyan, also known as Armen Gorlovski, was born in Armenia but moved to Ukraine, to Gorlovka, in Donetsk. He had obtained Ukrainian citizenship and had been active for years in recruiting pro-Russian volunteers to fight against Kiev.

In 2022 he founded the ArBat Battalion, a military unit composed of ex-convicts and mercenaries, funded by the Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan. This group was affiliated with the international brigade “Pjatnashka” and fought in the Donbass and the Kursk region.

In the last few years, Sargsyan had been accused by Ukrainian authorities of being involved in the recruitment of prisoners for the conflict and in the purchase of military equipment for the Russian army.

Drone Attack on Russian Infrastructure

At the same time as the attack in Moscow, A wave of drone strikes hit energy infrastructure in southern RussiaAccording to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Air defense shot down over 70 drones headed for oil refineries and power plants.

A Volgograd, a raid caused a large fire in a refinery, while in the region of Astrakhan they were targeted fuel systems. Kiev has not officially claimed responsibility for the operation, but has confirmed that it hit strategic Russian targets. in retaliation for the bombing of Ukrainian cities.

The hypotheses advanced and the suspicions behind the attack

Although Moscow has not yet officially attributed the attack, Investigators speak of a planned and ordered attack, leading to the hypothesis that involvement of Ukrainian secret services.

The attack comes at a delicate moment in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine andcould have significant consequences on ongoing negotiations and military operations. The killing of Armen Sargsyan marks a new chapter in the targeted operations against key figures in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. If the responsibility of the Ukrainian secret services were confirmed, it would be a further sign of the ongoing war between Moscow and Kiev, with aattacks and sabotage are intensifying on both fronts.