Second car bomb hits Russia in two days

The explosion in Moscow targeted Sergei Zavorotniy, who served as spokesman for Azarov during his 2010-2014 term as Ukraine's prime minister. Azarov fled to Russia during the 2014 anti-government protests. Russian newspaper Kommersant reported Zavorotniy was hospitalized, while Ren TV and the 112 Telegram channel said he lost his left arm and sustained a concussion, rib fractures, and other injuries. Azarov told Russia's TASS state news agency he knew nothing about the blast except that Zavorotniy survived. Russia's Investigative Committee has launched an inquiry into the explosion.

The attack came one day after a car explosion in Saint Petersburg killed a Russian serviceman, marking the second such incident in as many days. Russian authorities have not publicly linked the two bombings.

The violence unfolded as diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine continued. US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow before traveling to Dublin to brief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Witkoff said European leaders would be present at the next peace talks, though the EU has not yet nominated a single representative. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and EU Council President Antonio Costa are seen as leading candidates, but national leaders also want to attend.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia needs clarity on the European Union's "real intentions" before agreeing to expand the trilateral format. Peskov stated that once Moscow understands European willingness to contribute to the peace process, it can decide on holding talks in an expanded format. Kallas, arriving at an EU summit in Dublin, said Moscow had no say over who represented the European Union and insisted a ceasefire must come first.

Meanwhile, Russian airstrikes continued targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure as Kyiv residents braced for another difficult winter with unpredictable power and water outages. In Odesa, authorities reported two people killed and five injured, while a Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia killed a 17-year-old boy. In the Russian city of Volgograd, regional officials said four people were killed and two injured.