Assassination in Moscow: Armen Sarkisian killed in explosion at luxury complex

An east Ukrainian crime boss and separatist wanted by Kyiv had died from wounds inflicted during a blast at a luxury Moscow complex on Monday, Russian news agencies reported.

“Armen Sarkisian died in hospital after an assassination in Moscow,” the TASS news agency said, quoting health officials, with the RIA Novosti and Interfax agencies also saying he had died.

The explosion occurred in the lobby of the Scarlet Sails residential complex in northwestern Moscow, Russian state news agency TASS reported, citing a source in the country’s emergency services.

“A blast occurred in the lobby of the first floor. … The glazing and plasterboard ceiling were damaged. There was no fire,” the source was quoted by the news agency as saying.

The blast killed one person and injured four others, the source said, adding that there is no risk of the building collapsing because its support structures were not damaged.

Following the explosion, a bomb disposal squad reached the building and began gathering evidence to determine the cause of the explosion, said the media outlet.

It further cited a statement released by the Moscow bureau of the Investigative Committee of Russia, saying that a criminal investigation into the incident has been launched.

Target of the explosion: Armen Sarkisian

The outlet later reported, citing law enforcement agencies, that the explosion was part of an “assassination attempt,” adding that efforts are underway to determine those who organized the blast.

TASS reported the suspected target of the blast to be Armen Sarkisyan, accused by Kyiv of helping Russia’s military in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.

“The assassination attempt on Sarkisyan was carefully planned and was a contract killing. Investigators are currently identifying the people who ordered the crime,” the report further said, adding that Sarkisyan is currently in intensive care.

Last December, Ukraine’s Security Service defined Sarkisyan as a “criminal authority,” declaring that he is officially suspected of participating in and aiding “illegal armed or paramilitary formations.”