Russian general blown up after son ‘posted pic of his dad’s car number plate online’

A senior Russian military general is believed to have been killed by a car bomb while driving his BMW X3 through Moscow, with reports suggesting a social media post gave his location away

The location of a top Russian general believed to have been blown up in a BMW X3 was reportedly revealed by the military man’s own son, who allegedly posted a snap of the car’s number plate on social media.

The car bomb, which is said to have been detonated while the vehicle was driving through the eastern outskirts of Moscow at 5:30 a.m. local time yesterday, reportedly killed its passenger instantly.

The man inside is believed to have been Lieutenant General Damir Davydov, who was in charge of Russia’s missile and artillery programme responsible for supplying weapons to forces fighting in Ukraine.

While unconfirmed either by Russia or Ukraine, several blogs based in both countries have named Davydov as the victim whose body was pulled from the wreckage, with some sources suggesting that the bomb-planters may have used a post by his son to locate the BMW, as per The Sun.

Multiple reports have alleged that Russian military cadet Rafael Davydov posted a picture of his father’s car on the internet with the number plate visible, a piece of information that may have allowed enemy forces to locate the car and target it.

The Russian investigative authorities released a short statement saying an investigation has been launched, but did not disclose who the target had been.

According to the Russian newspaper Kommersant, the bomb used in the attack contained around half a kilo of explosives, adding that the BMW was totally destroyed in the fire.

The recent attack is not the first time Ukraine has used car bombs to target Russian military men.

In December 2025 a top Putin general was assassinated in a car bomb attack in Moscow while driving a Kia Sorento through the city’s Yasenevo district.

56-year-old General Fanil Sarvarov, who headed up Russia’s army training programme was initially reported as being wounded in the attack, but is now believed to have died.

In addition to the officer, seven other vehicles were also affected by the explosion and suffered damage. A local resident said: “At first, we thought a drone had been shot down. There was an explosion, but there was no fire.”

Lt-Gen Igor Kirillov, 54, and Major-General Yaroslav Moskalik, 58, were also killed in similar attacks in 2024.

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