Turkish police have detained a Russian man suspected of detonating a car bomb in Moscow on Wednesday, according to Turkey’s interior minister.
Russian media reported that a senior defense ministry official was among the victims.
“The terrorist who organized a bomb attack in Russia was caught in Bodrum,” Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on X.
RUSYA’DA BOMBALI SALDIRI DÜZENLEYEN TERÖRİST BODRUM’DA YAKALANDI❗️
Bugün saat 10.30’da Rusya Interpol Birimi yetkilileri tarafından İnterpol/Europol Daire Başkanlığımız telefonla aramış, “Rusya uyruklu Evgenii Serebriakov isimli şahsın Moskova’da bombalı araçla terör saldırısı… pic.twitter.com/2u277bK0UP
— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) July 24, 2024
The suspect, identified as Evgeny Serebriakov, arrived from Moscow at Bodrum Airport at 9:40 a.m. local time, Yerlikaya said, sharing a video of his capture.
Russian authorities reported two people were injured in the explosion in a parking lot in northern Moscow. An explosive device placed under a vehicle caused the blast, said Irina Volk, a spokeswoman for Russia’s Interior Ministry.
Surveillance video of the moment when an apparent car bomb went off on a car in Moscow. @kommersant says a man who was wounded in the blast is a GRU officer. Investigative Committee says it's investigating. https://t.co/Vxv2Lvg4Dn pic.twitter.com/zt7jChZj1K
— Mike Eckel (@Mike_Eckel) July 24, 2024
The injured were transported to a medical facility, Volk stated. Police are conducting investigations to determine the circumstances of the incident and to apprehend those involved.
A video shared on Telegram showed an explosion ripping through an SUV shortly after a man entered the vehicle. Russian media reported that GRU military intelligence officer Andrei Torgashev and his wife were the injured parties. Torgashev was reportedly hospitalized in critical condition.
However, Moscow region broadcaster 360.ru and the Kremlin-funded RT network later reported conflicting accounts, with Torgashev’s wife and Torgashev himself denying his involvement.
Russia’s Investigative Committee has launched a criminal investigation into the explosion, which is being treated as attempted murder. The case could be reclassified as a terrorist investigation, according to Kommersant.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak denied any involvement by Kyiv.
Federal Security Service chief Alexander Bortnikov confirmed that the suspect fled to Turkey and that Russian authorities are seeking his extradition.
Several car explosions have occurred in Russia since its invasion of Ukraine, including the 2022 killing of Alexander Dugin’s daughter and the 2023 bombing targeting writer Zakhar Prilepin.