A car bomb exploded near a military base in Russia's southern Dagestan region today, killing at least one person.
The blast occurred about 100 metres from a military base in the town of Kaspiysk in the mainly Muslim region of Dagestan, a spokesman for border guard troops at the base said.
"According to provisional information no-one died except the driver of the car," he said, adding that police were investigating reports the bomb was detonated by a suicide bomber.
The explosion completely destroyed the car, a white Lada, a witness at the scene said. Police were on alert for possible attacks ahead of today's celebrations of the 65th anniversary of the Soviet victory in the second World War.
A bomb disposal expert was killed overnight by an explosive device near apartments housing the families of military officials in Kaspiysk town centre, a police spokesman said.
Insurgents from neighbouring Chechnya have launched attacks on Victory Day, a holiday associated with the mass deportation of ethnic Chechens by Stalin during the war.
Dagestan, Chechnya and neighbouring Ingushetia are at the centre of an Islamist insurgency aimed at establishing an independent Islamic state.