Photo: Russian media
The serviceman killed in a car explosion in St. Petersburg on August 27 has been identified by Russian media as Russian Air Force officer Sergei Sechkov, who is listed in Ukraine’s Myrotvorets database.
The information was reported by the Russian outlets Agentstvo and 78.ru, as well as the Ukrainian Telegram channel Supernova+.
According to Supernova+, Sechkov, reportedly a major, was killed when an explosive device detonated inside his car. His father confirmed his son’s death to Agentstvo, saying only: “They blew him up.”
78.ru identified the victim as a 43-year-old serviceman from Ryazan. According to media reports, he had previously told his superiors that he was on a “liquidation list” and regularly checked his vehicle before driving.
Leaked data reportedly indicates that Sechkov lived in a building on Kolpinskoye Highway, around 100 meters from the site of the explosion.
The serviceman’s rank remains unclear. Fontanka reported that he served in the Russian air-defense forces with the rank of lieutenant colonel, while the Myrotvorets database identifies him as a major who served in the 332nd Separate Guards Helicopter Regiment, part of Russia’s 6th Air Force and Air Defense Army.
Sources linked to Russian military aviation also reportedly confirmed Sechkov’s death.
Fontanka claimed that the explosive device was planted by a 24-year-old woman who had allegedly been recruited through a messaging app. This information has not been independently confirmed.
The explosion occurred on August 27 and was initially described as the detonation of an improvised explosive device.
The incident is not the first such case in Russia. Earlier in August, a car belonging to a Russian military blogger and developer was blown up near Yekaterinburg; his driver and bodyguard were killed.