Car Bombs Target Russian Officials as Peace Talks Stall
Russian investigators probe car bombings in Moscow and Saint Petersburg while the Kremlin and EU clash over representation in US-mediated peace negotiations.
Russian authorities are investigating two car bombings within 48 hours targeting high-profile figures. On Friday, November 13, a bomb exploded beneath the SUV of Sergei Zavorotny, a journalist and former aide to exiled pro-Russian Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, in Moscow's Chertanovo district. Zavorotny suffered a concussion, rib fractures, and the loss of his left arm. This followed a Thursday attack in Saint Petersburg that killed a senior Russian military colonel. Russian investigators suspect Ukrainian intelligence services in the Moscow blast and report that a 31-year-old suspect who planted the Saint Petersburg bomb has fled the country.
These attacks occurred alongside overnight drone strikes that killed four people in Volgograd, Russia, and several others in Odesa and Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.
Diplomatically, EU leaders met in Dublin to discuss their role in US-mediated peace talks. While US special envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed European representatives would attend future meetings, the Kremlin demanded clarity on the European Union's intentions before granting them a seat. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas argued that Russia is attempting to divert attention from the lack of a ceasefire to push through its own security demands.
