Man killed in St. Petersburg car bombing identified as helicopter regiment officer
A Russian air force officer named Sechkov, who served in a helicopter regiment linked to strikes on civilians in Ukraine, was killed in a car bomb explosion in St. Petersburg on Thursday; his wife was injured.
On Thursday morning, a homemade explosive device detonated inside a car on Kolpino Highway in St. Petersburg, near a "Magnit" store. The blast killed an air force officer and injured his wife. The incident occurred in a residential area historically built up as housing for military personnel — a development visited in 2010 by Vladimir Putin, who was prime minister at the time.
Witnesses said that around 10 a.m. the officer and his wife had just left their home when the explosive device went off in their car.
Identity of the victim
The Ukrainian Telegram channel "Supernova+" was first to report the man's death. The outlet "Agentstvo" later reported that the victim's father had confirmed the death of his son, identified as Sechkov.
According to data from Ukraine's "Myrotvorets" project, Sechkov served in the 332nd Separate Guards Helicopter Regiment. "Agentstvo" noted that in May 2022, Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate accused this unit's personnel of carrying out missile and bomb strikes against civilians in the Slobozhanske direction of Kharkiv region.
Leaked documents obtained by "Agentstvo" indicate Sechkov was 43 years old and originally from Ryazan. Regional television channel "78.ru" reported that Sechkov had previously told his superiors he believed he was on a "kill list." Various media outlets have reported that he held the rank of either major or lieutenant colonel.
