A car explosion on Kirovogradskaya Street in Moscow’s southern Chertanovo District injured Sergei Zavorotny, a former press secretary to ex-Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, on the morning of Nov. 13. The blast hit the driver’s side of his black Toyota Fortuner after the vehicle drove for about 200 meters. Zavorotny, who is 72, suffered a brain contusion, broken ribs, an open fracture of the tibia, and the loss of his left arm. Bystanders provided first aid before he went to the hospital.
Details of the explosion and Zavorotny’s background
Russian media reported that the explosion possibly came from an improvised explosive device planted under the car, though Kommersant stated a magnetic mine likely caused it. Russian authorities opened an investigation into the case as attempted murder. Zavorotny served as press secretary during the presidency of Viktor Yanukovych and fled to Russia in 2014 following the Euromaidan Revolution. He later opened a media outlet and wrote "Yanukovych Surrendered, the State Department Accepted: How Russia Lost Ukraine," where he claimed Western intelligence agencies orchestrated the revolution.
The victim’s former boss, Mykola Azarov, also fled to Russia in 2014 and founded the Ukraine Salvation Committee in July 2015. This organization presents itself as a Ukrainian government-in-exile. While Zavorotny was in Russia, he broadcasted pro-Kremlin and anti-Ukrainian positions.
Russian military progress and civilian casualties
Russia’s battlefield advance has slowed significantly because heavy casualties limited Moscow’s ability to sustain its offensive, according to Maj. Gen. Oleh Apostol, commander of Ukraine’s Air Assault Forces. He told journalists at a closed-door meeting that capturing small areas does not translate into meaningful military gains. The Institute for the Study of War reported that Russian forces suffered a net territorial loss of approximately 27 square kilometers in October. This marks the second consecutive month that Moscow lost more territory than it gained.
In Zaporizhzhia, a Russian attack on a multi-story residential building in the Kosmichnyi district injured 50 people, including eight children. Ivan Fedorov, co-chair of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast Defense Council, said fires broke out on the second and third floors. A rescue worker from the Cobra emergency service died when a concrete slab fell on him while he cleared debris. On Nov. 12, 16 Ukrainians returned from occupied territories under a new arrangement involving the International Committee of the Red Cross. Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, said this follows a deal brokered with Russian Human Rights Commissioner Yana Lantratova.
