Car of Azarov's former press secretary blown up in Moscow

A car was blown up in the Chertanovo district of southern Moscow on Friday, 13 November, according to Russian media. The vehicle reportedly belonged to Sergei Zavorotny, who once served as press secretary to Mykola Azarov, a former prime minister of Ukraine. The report was first published by the Russian news Telegram channel Mash and was then repeated by other outlets.

What is known about the blast

Mash says a homemade explosive device was attached to the underside of the car on the driver's side. It detonated while the vehicle was moving. Zavorotny himself was behind the wheel and, according to the channel, was seriously injured. The source text gives no other sources and no official confirmation.

Who Sergei Zavorotny is

Mash describes Zavorotny as a publicist, a candidate of historical sciences and a specialist in media and politics. It says he worked in the Russian State Duma until 2004 and later became press secretary to Ukrainian prime minister Mykola Azarov. The channel also calls him an international affairs journalist who held state posts in Ukraine.

Separately, the Telegram channel Ukraine Context notes that a 2020 report by the US Senate Intelligence Committee names Zavorotny as an officer of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service. The report links him to carrying out Russian influence operations.

The source text does not say who blew up the car, and it contains no official findings from an investigation. The information relies on reports from Russian media and Telegram channels.