Leader of Donbass military unit killed in apparent terrorist attack on Moscow residential building

Leader of Donbass military unit killed in apparent terrorist attack on Moscow residential building

The leader of a pro-Russian paramilitary group in Donbass has died in hospital after being injured in an explosion in Moscow on Monday morning, Russian media have said.

Armen Sargsyan, the leader of the “Arbat” battalion, was severely injured following a blast in the entrance hall of a residential building in north-west Moscow, 12km from the Kremlin, BBC reported.

He was evacuated to a hospital by helicopter and placed in intensive care after the explosion, but eventually succumbed to his injuries, according to usually reliable Telegram sources.

Others – including one of Armen Sargsyan’s bodyguards – were also reportedly seriously injured, with some sources saying one other person had died.

Russian security forces have opened a criminal investigation in what looks like an apparent terrorist attack on the Russian capital.