A top-level car Aurus Senat, part of the official fleet of Vladimir Putin, was the epicenter of a large explosion on a street north of the Russian secret services headquarters, the FSB, in Lubyanka, Moscow.
The incident occurred on Sretenka Street, where the fire, which started in the engine of the 275,000-pound vehicle, quickly spread to the interior of the car.
Eyewitnesses, including workers from nearby restaurants and bars, tried to help before emergency services arrived at the scene.
The impressive explosion left a column of black smoke coming from the destroyed vehicle, while the flames continued to burn. An additional angle of the footage showed that the rear of the vehicle had also suffered damage.
The car, which belongs to Putin's Presidential Property Department, was used in circumstances that were not disclosed, and it was not specified what might have caused the sudden fire.
Fortunately, the people inside the car were not injured in the incident. The Aurus Senat model is frequently used by Putin, who has even gifted limousines of this brand to foreign figures like North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
This incident occurs in a context of growing concerns from Putin about possible assassination plots against him, especially amid the war in Ukraine.
In recent days, it has been shown that Putin has a growing distrust toward his own security team.
A recent video showed officers of the Ceremonial Guard in Murmansk being searched by an agent of the Federal Protective Service (FSO) to ensure they were not carrying weapons or explosives while waiting for Putin to lay a wreath at the "Unknown Soldier" monument.
According to reports, the magazines of the weapons were removed and plugs were placed in the gun chambers, highlighting Putin's fear of being assassinated even by his own soldiers.
