Russian serviceman killed in explosion in St. Petersburg, media reports

A ​car carrying a Russian ‌military serviceman ​and his wife exploded in St. Petersburg on Thursday, killing the man instantly, Russian ‌media reported. The online Fontanka newspaper in Russia's second-largest city identified the man as a lieutenant colonel. It said his wife was rushed to hospital. Russia's ‌Investigative Committee said it had opened a criminal case after a ‌car caught fire, killing one person and injuring another, although it did not identify the deceased person as military personnel. The Mash Telegram channel identified the people ⁠as ​a military serviceman ⁠and his wife. Unverified footage posted by local Telegram channels showed police and emergency workers ⁠standing in a cordoned-off street strewn with what appeared to be the ​shards of a torn-apart car. Russia has blamed Ukraine for a ⁠string of previous assassinations of senior military officials and people linked to Moscow's war ⁠effort. ​Ukrainian sources have claimed responsibility in some cases, while denying others. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine on Thursday's incident. Most ⁠recently, a Russian military officer was killed in a bomb attack on August ⁠13 in ⁠Russian-annexed Crimea. A woman was later arrested on suspicion of assassinating him on behalf of Ukrainian special ‌services.