Russian Lieutenant General Killed in Car Bombing in Moscow; Investigators Suspect Ukrainian Involvement

A senior Russian military officer was killed in a car bombing in Moscow on Monday, Russian investigators confirmed, in what appears to be the latest in a series of targeted attacks on high-ranking officials since the outbreak of the Ukraine war.

Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, 56, died after an explosive device detonated beneath a vehicle in which he was travelling during the morning hours. Local media reported that the blast occurred at approximately 7 a.m. in a parking area on Yaseneva Street in southern Moscow. The vehicle reportedly moved several metres before the explosion.

Sarvarov, a veteran officer, was head of the operational training directorate of the Russian armed forces’ General Staff and was responsible for overseeing combat training and operational readiness, including in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. He was rushed to hospital with severe injuries but later succumbed, officials said.

Russia’s Investigative Committee said multiple lines of inquiry were being pursued into the killing. “Investigators are examining various possible motives behind the murder,” a spokesperson said, adding that one of the scenarios under consideration was that the attack had been organised by Ukrainian intelligence services.

There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian authorities.

Russian media reported that Sarvarov had previously served in the Chechen conflicts of the 1990s and early 2000s and had also played a role in Russian military operations in Syria.

The killing adds to a growing list of similar attacks that Russia has attributed to Ukraine since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Kyiv has denied involvement in some cases but has claimed responsibility for others.

In December last year, Ukraine’s security service acknowledged carrying out an attack that killed Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, head of Russia’s nuclear, biological and chemical protection forces. Kirillov was killed by an explosive device concealed on an electric scooter outside his apartment building, a day after Ukrainian authorities announced criminal charges against him.

In another incident in April, General Yaroslav Moskalik was killed when a car exploded near his residence in Moscow. The Kremlin blamed Ukraine for the attack, though Kyiv did not issue a response at the time.