Three explosions rock central Moscow near shopping centre

Three explosions rocked a busy shopping centre in central Moscow today after a car ‘exploded’ in the underground parking garage.

The car’s explosion sparked a fire, with billowing black smoke seen across the Russian capital’s skyline, just 15 minutes away from the Kremlin. Authorities are investigating the explosions, but initial reports say they aren’t ruling out sabotage or terrorism.

Emergency services told local Russian media SHOT that an explosion occurred shortly before the fire broke out, and the flames quickly spread to nearby construction materials. The fire has now been extinguished, but the cause of the explosions is currently unknown. Moscow has become a target for Ukrainian attacks since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.