Top Russian Military Officer Killed In Moscow Car Bombing, Investigators Probe Possible Ukrainian Link
Sarvarov, a veteran with combat experience in Chechnya and Syria, headed the armed forces' operational training.
A senior Russian military officer has been killed in a car bombing in Moscow, triggering a high-level investigation and renewed scrutiny of targeted attacks inside the Russian capital.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, 56, died on Monday after an explosive device planted beneath a vehicle detonated. Sarvarov, who headed the armed forces’ operational training department, later succumbed to his injuries in hospital, officials confirmed.
Explosion in Residential Area Sparks Murder Probe
The blast occurred in a car park near an apartment complex in southern Moscow, where investigators were dispatched shortly after the explosion. Images from the scene showed a white car heavily damaged, its doors blown off, with debris scattered among nearby vehicles.
The Investigative Committee said it had opened a criminal case into murder and the illegal trafficking of explosives. One of the theories being examined, officials added, involves possible participation by Ukrainian intelligence services. Ukraine has not commented on the allegation.
Veteran Officer With Long Combat History
According to Russian media reports, Sarvarov had an extensive military career spanning several decades. He previously took part in combat operations during the Ossetian-Ingush conflict and the Chechen wars in the 1990s and early 2000s. He also reportedly led Russian military operations in Syria between 2015 and 2016.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said President Vladimir Putin was informed of Sarvarov’s death immediately.
Pattern of Targeted Killings Since Ukraine War
The killing adds to a growing list of high-profile attacks in Moscow since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Several military officials and prominent figures have been targeted in apparent assassination-style incidents.
In 2022, Darya Dugina, the 29-year-old daughter of a nationalist ideologue and close ally of the Kremlin, was killed in a suspected car bombing. Last April, Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik died in another car bomb attack. In December 2024, Gen. Igor Kirillov was killed when a device hidden inside a scooter was detonated remotely.
A Ukrainian source later told the BBC that Kirillov was killed by Ukraine’s security service, though the claim was never officially confirmed. As a matter of policy, Ukraine does not publicly admit or claim responsibility for targeted attacks.
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