Putin ally survives car bomb

A Russian lawmaker loyal to President Vladimir Putin claims he was the target of a failed assassination attempt in which his car was blown up as he drove through an occupied Ukraine city.

Denis Kharitonov, 44, shared a video on Telegram on Saturday showing his vehicle engulfed by flames after it exploded earlier this year as he helped the war effort in Ukraine.

He said he had previously shared online that he was using his “own car to carry out duties in the zone of the special military operation.”

“Today, while performing another duty, [the vehicle] exploded and burned to the ground,” he wrote along with the footage showing black smoke billowing from the completely engulfed vehicle.

Kharitonov, a representative from the Astrakhan region who said he was deployed to Ukraine after joining the army earlier this year, did not say whether or not he was in the car when it exploded, nor did the lawmaker provide details on where the incident occurred.

He also suggested that he had been the target of previous assassination attempts, writing, “It’s been awhile since I’ve been blown up in my car.”

He added that the case was being investigated by Russian officials. The lawmaker’s claims could not be immediately verified.