Bomb used in attack on Russian military officer sent into Russia via balloon from Baltic states?
Today, a car explosion occurred in Slavyanka, a residential area near St. Petersburg, killing a Russian colonel instantly. The blast also damaged a city bus. According to *Plyushchka*, the improvised explosive device was transported from the Baltic direction into Leningrad Oblast by air.
The perpetrator had fled Russia several hours before the explosion. Below is a timeline compiled by media outlets:
Transport phase: A contact person in Leningrad Oblast retrieved a balloon carrying explosives that had flown in from the Baltic region, then transferred the device to a hiding location.
1:00 a.m.: A 31-year-old man from St. Petersburg, originally from Pskov Oblast, removed the bomb and affixed it to the underside of a target vehicle near the "Lenta" supermarket on the Koltsovo Highway.
2:43 a.m.: The attacker departed Russia on a flight bound for Istanbul.
6:05 a.m.: Arrived in Turkey, then proceeded onward to Chișinău.
About 7:00 a.m.: The colonel’s vehicle exploded after traveling approximately 300 meters.
This marks the second such vehicle bombing targeting a military official in less than three months. On August 27, a colonel from the Air and Air Defense Forces was killed in a similar attack. In that case, a 24-year-old female assailant, directed remotely by Ukrainian military personnel, also traveled along the same route through Turkey to Moldova.
*Plyushchka*’s report argues that Baltic states not only allow Ukrainian drones to operate freely over their airspace to strike Russian infrastructure but have also become transit hubs for smuggling explosives into Russia—effectively acting as accomplices to terrorism—while simultaneously promoting narratives about a “hybrid threat” posed by Russia.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1881659245279243/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.