A senior Russian military satellite commander has had his feet torn off in a car bombing in Moscow.

Axar.az reports that Andrei Torgashov, 50, a colonel, and his wife Maya got into his Toyota Land Cruiser Prado near his home on Sinyavinskaya Street in the north of Moscow when it exploded in a suspected assassination bid.

The colonel, who is thought to be a GRU military intelligence officer, was reported to be in a 'grave' condition following surgery to amputate both legs after the explosion, according to Tsargrad media. His wife also suffered lacerations to her face.

Footage shows the carnage immediately after the explosion, which was just yards away from a children's playground.

It comes after it was revealed that at least 12 Russian soldiers were killed and another 30 are said to have been hospitalized after eating watermelons poisoned by Ukrainian resistance fighters in an occupied city.
Exhaust fumes and engine parts can be seen in a video scattered across the ground as people stand by in the residential area.

Both the colonel and his wife were wounded and pulled out of the car by a passerby who gave first aid.

They were then rushed by ambulance to the hospital to receive treatment.

A witness said: 'The explosion was very strong. The man's feet were torn off, burned, he was lying all charred.' The witness also claimed that it appeared there had been a device in the car.
The colonel's wife was not seriously wounded. 'She was concussed, her face was hit by shrapnel,' the witness added.

Russian law enforcement suspects the blast in the Russian capital city is linked to the war in Ukraine.
The commander is the deputy head of military unit 33790, the top secret 89th Satellite Communications Centre of the Russian Armed Forces, which is connected to Russian Strategic Rocket Forces, and is a transmitting radio center for secret military satellite communications.

This is crucial for managing and maintaining stable communication within the missile troops and between various command posts. It also has links to Russia's nuclear missiles as well as Putin's overall war effort.
The cause of the Toyota Prado explosion was classed as 'detonation of an object installed in the car,' according to an initial police assessment.

Police Major-General Irina Volk said: 'Officers are establishing the circumstances of the crime committed in the north of Moscow.'

They were conducting 'operational-search measures aimed at establishing all the circumstances of the incident, as well as the detention of persons involved in the commission of the offense.'