Second car bomb hits Russia in two days

A car bomb exploded in Moscow on Friday, November 13, injuring Sergei Zavorotniy, who previously worked as a spokesman for Mykola Azarov, according to reports from media outlets including Reuters and DW.com. Azarov served as Ukraine's prime minister from 2010 to 2014 before fleeing to Russia amid anti-government protests in 2014. According to the Russian newspaper Kommersant, Zavorotniy was hospitalized following the blast. Ren TV and the 112 Telegram channel reported that he lost his left arm, sustained a concussion and rib fractures, and suffered other injuries. Russia's Investigative Committee has launched an inquiry into the explosion. Meanwhile, Azarov told Russia's TASS state news agency that he does not know anything about the explosion except that Zavorotniy survived. DW.com reported that this is the second car explosion in Russia in two days, following the death of a Russian serviceman in a car explosion in Saint Petersburg on Thursday.\n\nIn broader political developments, the incident coincides with discussions surrounding potential Ukraine peace talks. US envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner participated in talks in Abu Dhabi and subsequently met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow before traveling to Dublin to debrief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and EU Council President Antonio Costa are tipped as potential figures to represent the European Union in future peace talks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia needs clarity on the European Union's "real intentions" for joining the peace talks before deciding on expanding the trilateral format. Peskov stated that Russia would be ready to talk if the Europeans have a genuine desire and an authorized representative. However, Kallas claimed that Russia does not want anyone strong at the negotiating table because they want to push through their maximum demands. Kallas also emphasized that a ceasefire must come first, stating that discussing Russia's security architecture walks into traps set by Moscow.\n\nMeanwhile, fighting and airstrikes continued across the region. In the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa, authorities reported two people killed and five injured, with one person reportedly injured in an attack on a hospital in Kyiv. A Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia killed a 17-year-old boy, according to acting regional governor Mykhailo Semikin. In the Russian city of Volgograd, four people were killed and two others injured, the regional government said. Additionally, Kyiv residents continue to face difficult conditions as Russian airstrikes target the capital's energy infrastructure, causing power and water outages.