Car Bomb in Moscow Critically Injures Former Ukrainian PM's Adviser a Day After St Petersburg Blast

A car bomb in Moscow on Friday critically injured Sergei Zavorotnyi, a former adviser to ex-Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, in the second such attack in two days. Russia's Investigative Committee said the explosion hit a car he was driving and that he was hospitalised; it opened a criminal inquiry and named no suspects. Russian media, including Kommersant, said the blast occurred on a street in the Chertanovo district. REN TV and the 112 Telegram channel reported he lost his left arm, suffered a concussion, rib fractures and other injuries, and was in a coma. A day earlier, a similar attack in St Petersburg killed a military officer. Zavorotnyi, 72, a former Komsomolskaya Pravda journalist, wrote a book about the 2014 ouster of President Viktor Yanukovych and ran an online outlet critical of Ukrainian authorities. Azarov, who served as prime minister from 2010 to 2014 and now lives in Russia, told Russian state media he was shocked and believed Zavorotnyi was targeted for criticizing Kyiv's government. Moscow has blamed Ukraine for a series of bombings and shootings aimed at people tied to the war.

The right-leaning New York Post leads with the "second car bombing in 2 days," relying heavily on Russian outlets: Kommersant, REN TV, and the 112 and Baza Telegram channels. It adds the photo of the wrecked car, describes Zavorotniy as a "onetime spokesman" for a pro-Russian premier, and notes Moscow's blame of Ukraine for earlier assassinations. The left-leaning Washington Post headline instead stresses Russia's account of the injury, calling him a "Ukraine critic," and its excerpt highlights his move from Azarov's aide to pro-Kremlin commentator. Both sides agree on the basics: a Moscow car bomb, a former Azarov aide wounded, and a pattern of attacks. They differ in emphasis: the Post foregrounds his career as a commentator, while the New York Post foregrounds the string of attacks and Russian media details. Al Jazeera's coverage differs by quoting Azarov's view that the target was chosen over criticism of Kyiv.