Explosive placed under car
Alleged assassination attempt against Russian police chief in Mariupol
03/27/2023 2:33 p.m
The Russian authorities in occupied Ukrainian territories repeatedly report acts of sabotage. Now the police chief’s car in Mariupol is said to have been blown up, and Moskvin is said to have suffered only “minor injuries.”
A police chief in the Russian-held southeastern Ukrainian port of Mariupol has been reportedly injured in a suspected assassination attempt. The state news agency Tass reported that Mikhail Moskvin’s car was blown up in the morning, citing eastern Ukrainian separatist circles. Moskvin suffered a “minor injury” in the incident.
The Russian news agency Ria Novosti reported that the explosive device was placed under Moskvin’s car and detonated when it was standing close to it. It is not yet possible to independently confirm the information.
The authorities in the occupied Ukrainian territories have repeatedly reported acts of sabotage, which they blame on Kiev. According to Moscow, however, Mariupol is comparatively safe. President Vladimir Putin visited the city, which was taken by Russia in April 2022 after a grueling siege, just over a week ago. Russian state television showed the 70-year-old at the wheel of a car driving through the city at night. Damage to buildings could also be seen.
The Ukrainian government sharply condemned Putin’s visit to Mariupol: “Criminals always return to the scene of the crime,” wrote Advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mikhail Podoliak, on Twitter. “The murderer of thousands of families in Mariupol came to admire the city’s ruins and their tombs. Cynicism and lack of remorse,” he added.