One of Putin’s luxury limos explodes and burns in Moscow
In a dramatic scene near Moscow's FSB headquarters on Lubyanka Street, one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's luxury limousines exploded and caught fire, reports the Serbian news outlet Kurir.
The blaze, which started in the engine of the €330,000 special-purpose "Aurus Senat" vehicle, rapidly advanced into the interior. Video footage shows staff from nearby restaurants and bars rushing out, attempting to help extinguish the fire before the arrival of firefighters. Meanwhile, dense black smoke billowed from the front of the burning car, and the flames raged on. Additional footage from a different angle shows damage to the vehicle's rear section as well.
According to reports, the limousine is managed by the Russian President's asset management department. Despite the fire, no official statements have been released explaining the cause of the sudden blaze. Fortunately, no casualties were recorded, although initial reports suggested someone might have been inside at the time.
Known for his preference for domestically produced vehicles, President Putin recently gifted a similar limousine to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The incident coincides with heightened "paranoia over potential assassination attempts" surrounding the Russian leader.
A troubling recent incident during Putin's visit to Murmansk highlights these security concerns. A video surfaced showing a ceremonial Russian guard undergoing a humiliating process: each soldier was thoroughly searched by an officer from the Federal Protective Service for concealed weapons or explosives before Putin laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Reportedly, the honor guard was issued rifles with no ammunition due to fears of an assassination, possibly even from within Putin's own security.
Security around Putin continues to dominate headlines, as evidenced by another recent case reflecting the Kremlin's "profound concern" for Putin's safety. Officers painstakingly searched all manhole covers and trash bins near a location where Putin intended to speak in Moscow.
On February 3 explosion rocked a luxury apartment complex, "Scarlet Sails," in Moscow. Russian news agency "Interfax" reported that Arman Sarkisyan, president of the so-called "DPR" Boxing Federation and founder of the "Arbat" battalion, sustained severe injuries. He was known as Arman Gorlovsky and faced international warrant for assassination-related charges.
As Kommersant explains, the bomb detonated as Sarkisyan and his guards entered the building, resulting in a guard's death and injuries to others. Ukrainian outlet "Novoye Vremya" detailed Sarkisyan's criminal ties, mentioning his association with fugitive ex-president Viktor Yanukovych and his subsequent alliance with Russia following their large-scale Ukraine invasion. Sarkisyan established a new militia unit dubbed the "special-purpose battalion 'Arbat' (or 'Armenian battalion')," composed mainly of convicts, which he was assigned to oversee in occupied Donbas prisons. The blast caused Sarkisyan's leg amputation, and according to Russian media, he succumbed shortly in intensive care without regaining consciousness, with shrapnel wounds near the heart cited as the preliminary cause of death.