Russia is investigating whether a colonel's death was an attack carried out by Ukraine, while the Kremlin meets with the US in Moscow

The Kremlin is investigating whether the death of a colonel in the Russian armed forces, whose identity has not yet been disclosed, was the result of an attack carried out by Ukraine.

The colonel died on Thursday in a vehicle explosion in St. Petersburg, the country's second-most populous city, according to AFP.

Several Russian military personnel have been the targets of attacks on Russian soil since the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine, which began in February 2022.

In August, a vehicle explosion, also in St. Petersburg, killed another soldier and seriously injured his wife.

Since the start of the war, Kiev's intelligence services have claimed responsibility for, or been accused of, several assassinations or attempted assassinations of Russian military officers and public figures who support the conflict.

The highest-ranking Russian military official killed in an attack claimed by Ukraine is Gen. Igor Kirilov, commander of the radiological, chemical and biological defense forces, who was killed near his home in Moscow in December 2024.

U.S.-Russia meeting in Moscow

The colonel's death occurred on the same day that a U.S. diplomatic delegation, led by Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. This meeting will take place just a few days after talks between the United States, Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi.

According to Russian diplomatic sources, this meeting with Kushner and Witkoff will serve to "review" everything discussed in Abu Dhabi.

Kushner and Witkoff will then travel to Dublin to brief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is in the Irish capital to meet with European leaders.