Who was Col Damir Davydov? Putin's general killed in car bomb blast near Moscow

A senior Russian military official has been killed in a car bomb explosion near Moscow.

According to the local media reports, the time device was planted underneath a BMW that exploded at about 5:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday, June 9, 2026.

The victim has been identified as a high ranking Russian general named Col Damir Davydov, who was traveling near his home in the city of Balashikha, per Astra report.

The latest killing is seen as a series of assassinations that target Russian military officials and key pro-war elements since the Russia-Ukraine war.

Who was Col Damir Davydov?

Davydov, 57, was in charge of the Russian military’s artillery and missile depot supply directorate, per The Guardian.

Surveillance camera footage appeared in the Russian media highlighting Davydov’s car blazing up into fire and smashing into a stationary vehicle.

According to a Telegram channel Mash, a Russian-language social media outlet, reported that eyewitnesses rushed to rescue the driver from car wreckage, but he died on the spot.

However, so far no official statement has been released by either Ukraine or Russia.

For context, the latest attack took place less than a mile away from the same spot where, a year ago, a similar car bomb blast occurred.

The blast killed the then Lt. Gen Yaroslav Moskalik, who was the deputy head of the Russian armed forces’ main operations directorate.