A car exploded in southwestern Moscow this morning, killing at least one person and injuring another,
Russian news agencies reported.
It was not immediately clear what caused the blast. A police spokesman declined to comment on the incident and local prosecutors were not immediately available.
Police across Russia are braced for attacks by Chechen separatists who have claimed responsibility for numerous acts of violence in recent years, including suicide bombings in Moscow and the seizure of a school in southern Russia in September, where more than 330 hostages died.
But organised crime is also common, with contract killings often blamed on business disputes that have spilled over into gang warfare.