Inside Russia’s Main Operational Directorate: role of its deputy head killed near Moscow

Defence Express reported the information.

Today, April 25, another Russian general, Yaroslav Moskalik, was successfully eliminated in the town of Balashikha near Moscow.

A video shows that an explosive device was placed in a car parked near his building. The bomb went off just as Moskalik was walking by. Russian sources claim the car had changed owners three times since the start of the year, with the most recent owner said to be originally from Ukrainian city of Sumy.

According to reports, Moskalik was mentioned in official Russian documents from 2021–2022 as the deputy head of the Main Operational Directorate of Russia’s General Staff. Russian media suggest he may have still held that position.

If true, this would mean he had a significant role in the Russian military. The Main Operational Directorate is believed to be responsible for planning large-scale military operations and overseeing their execution.

This operation appears similar to the reported assassination of General Igor Kirillov, head of Russia’s radiation, chemical, and biological defense forces, on December 17, 2024. In that case, a bomb was hidden in an electric scooter parked near an entrance.

Both cases suggest highly targeted and carefully planned attacks, reportedly carried out without harming civilians.

• In the city of Balashikha, Moscow region, a car explosion killed Yaroslav Moskalik, a general of the Russian Defense Ministry’s General Staff