A car has exploded in Balashikha, a city in the Russian region of Moscow, apparently killing a senior Russian general. A Telegram post by the Russian Investigative Committee said: "A criminal case has been opened in connection with the explosion of a car in the city of Balashikha in the Moscow Region.

"Investigators from the Investigative Committee of Russia, forensic experts and experts from the department, as well as operational units of law enforcement agencies have left for the scene." Russian media outlet SHOT, also posting on Telegram, said: "The deceased deputy head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Yaroslav Moskalik, was passing by the exploded Volkswagen Golf at the time of the explosion.

"Immediately after that, his body was thrown several meters away.

"Preliminary, the car filled with explosives could have been specially driven to the house where the soldier lived.

"According to SHOT, the IED was filled with striking elements with a diameter of about 6 mm.

"The car did not belong to him."

Pictures circulating online appeared to show the aftermath of the explosion, while another brief clip purported to show the moment of the blast itself.

There has been no official confirmation but Russia’s state-run news agency TASS claimed gas equipment had been installed in the car.

Investigators are believed to be examining two possible causes: an accidental gas cylinder explosion or the detonation of an improvised explosive device.

The committee's spokesperson, Svetlana Petrenko, said the explosive device was rigged with shrapnel, adding that investigators were at the scene. She made no mention of possible suspects.

In 2015, Tass named Moskalik as a member of the security subgroup in the Contact Group on settlement of the situation in Ukraine.

His death follows the killing of Lt Gen Igor Kirillov, who died on December 17 when a bomb hidden on an electric scooter parked outside his apartment building exploded as he left for his office.

The Russian authorities blamed Ukraine for the killing of Kirillov.