The leader of a pro-Russian militia in eastern Ukraine, labeled a “criminal mastermind” by officials in Kyiv, has reportedly died as a result of a bombing in central Moscow, according to Russian state media.
The battalion was involved in several pivotal battles during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, as noted by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in October 2023. Arbat consisted “almost entirely” of former personnel from the Wagner Group, the US-based conflict monitoring organization stated.
Sarkisyan was a supporter of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, who was pro-Russian and removed from power after violent protests in Ukraine in 2014, subsequently seeking refuge in Russia, according to Ukrainian officials. He was wanted in Ukraine due to his suspected involvement in the violent crackdown on demonstrators opposing Yanukovych.
Sarkisyan was departing the upscale Aliye Parusa residential complex in northwest Moscow on Monday morning when the explosion occurred, as a local resident reported in a video shared by the independent Russian media outlet SOTA.
When questioned about the event during a press briefing on Monday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated: “The special services are carrying out their duties. It is a challenging task. The details are being verified, and efforts are ongoing, so we cannot comment on anything at this moment.”