A Ukrainian born man from Sumy, Hnat Kuzin, has been accused by Russian media of orchestrating the assassination of Russian Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik, the deputy chief of the General Staff’s Main Operations Directorate.
According to reports from Russian outlets, Kuzin allegedly lived in the same apartment building as General Moskalik and planted a car packed with explosives outside the entrance on 16 April. Witnesses say Kuzin rented an apartment in the building for about a month and was last seen near the Volkswagen Golf which later exploded. Residents told journalists that the Golf was parked directly opposite the building’s entrance on the same day and that a man matching Kuzin’s description was spotted near the car before vanishing.
It is believed that Kuzin departed Russia for Turkey on 19 April, just days after the car bomb was placed. Russian sources state that Kuzin has officially been registered as a resident in Karachay Cherkessia since 2015, a region within Russia.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has claimed that it has “reason to believe” that Ukrainian special services were involved in the attack. The Ministry accused Ukraine of “barbaric and treacherous” acts, though no independent confirmation of Kuzin’s guilt has been made public.
Photos shared by Russian media show the remains of the Volkswagen Golf following the blast in Balashikha on 25 April 2025. The incident has drawn significant attention from Russian authorities and state media outlets.
The alleged assassination follows shortly after Russian forces launched a brutal missile strike on the city of Sumy, Ukraine, on 13 April 2025. That attack resulted in the deaths of 35 civilians, including two children, and injured 127 more, according to Ukrainian officials. Images released by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine show extensive damage to civilian infrastructure and residential areas.
Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence Directorate has placed responsibility for the Sumy missile attack on Russia’s 112th and 448th missile brigades, accusing them of targeting civilians deliberately.
