A car has exploded in northern Moscow, an emergency official told TASS, Paralel.Az reports.

"The car, a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, belonged to a former officer of the Ukrainian Security Service who moved to Russia before the start of the special military operation. The explosion left him injured," the official said.

The blast occurred when the driver started the car. "Several causes of the explosion are under consideration. One of the assumptions is that an unidentified explosive device went off," the official added.

The explosion did not cause a fire but damaged nearby cars.

A criminal investigation into an assassination attempt was launched following the incident. Investigators and forensic experts from the Moscow branch of the Russian Investigative Committee, as well as emergency services, are working at the scene.