A £2,75,000 (~3.4 crore) Aurus Senat limousine, reportedly part of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s official fleet, exploded and burst into flames in Moscow, according to media reports. The incident occurred on March 29 near the FSB secret service headquarters in Lubyanka.

Footage of the explosion has gone viral, fueling speculation about a possible assassination attempt on the Russian president, days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s comment about Putin ‘dying soon’.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an interview had said that Russian President Vladimir Putin ‘will die soon’, as reported by a Ukrainian daily, amid the rumours about Putin’s declining health.

This was after the reports that Zelenskyy had agreed to a partial ceasefire in the war against Russia that was discussed by US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, the White House said. 

The report further added that this incident will undoubtedly increase Putin’s concern about his safety as he takes extra precautions to keep himself safe during the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.

The 72-year-old Russian President often uses Russian-made Aurus vehicles and has reportedly gifted them to foreign leaders, including North Korea’s Kim Jong-un.