Explosion near Moscow rail hub kills police officer

An explosion outside a train station in Moscow has killed one traffic police officer and injured two others, the Russian Interior Ministry has said.

Police had been patrolling their vehicle at Savyolovsky Station Square, north of the city centre, when it said "an unidentified device was detonated" by "an unknown individual".

Authorities are investigating the explosion that took place just after midnight on Tuesday local time (21:05 GMT on Monday). A motive has not yet been established.

The ministry initially reported that a male attacker had fled but later said he had died at the scene.

Savyolovsky Station is one of the Russian capital's main rail hubs, according to news agency AFP.

The attacker approached officers from the north-eastern district of Moscow, the ministry said in a statement, providing no further details about his identity.

Officials have given no additional information regarding the explosive device so far.

A criminal case has been opened against the perpetrator for the attempt on the life of a law enforcement officer and charges relating to the explosive device.

Law enforcement agencies were working in tandem to "establish all the circumstances", the ministry added.

The two injured officers were hospitalised "with various injuries" following the explosion.

The ministry identified the officer who was killed as 34-year-old Police Lieutenant Denis Bratuschenko, a senior inspector in the traffic police.

He had joined the force in 2019 and is survived by his wife and two children, it said.

"The leadership and personnel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia express their sincere condolences to the family," a statement from Irina Volk, the ministry's spokeswoman, read.