A senior Russian military officer was killed in a car bombing on the outskirts of Moscow early Monday, marking the latest deadly attack on a high-ranking figure tied to Russia’s war effort nearly four years into the invasion of Ukraine.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said an explosive device planted beneath a vehicle detonated on a residential street on December 22. Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, who headed the General Staff’s directorate for army operational training, later died from injuries sustained in the blast, reports Radio Liberty.
According to investigators, the vehicle had only traveled a short distance before exploding. Russian-language Telegram channel Baza first reported details of the movement prior to the detonation. The Investigative Committee has video of a heavily damaged white car sitting in a parking area, with debris scattered nearby and surrounding vehicles visibly affected.
Authorities said several possibilities are being examined, including the involvement of Ukrainian special services. No suspects have been publicly identified. Ukrainian military intelligence, which has previously claimed responsibility for attacks targeting Russian officials, did not respond to Radio Liberty's requests for comment.
Sarvarov, 56, had served in multiple military campaigns. He fought against insurgents in Chechnya and took part in Russia’s military operations in Syria in 2015 and 2016. Investigative outlet Proyekt reported that Sarvarov was also involved in the war against Ukraine. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general by President Vladimir Putin in 2024.
The killing follows a pattern of recent assassinations targeting senior Russian military figures. In April, Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik was killed when a car bomb exploded in a Moscow suburb as he walked nearby. Russian prosecutors later charged a man in connection with that attack, alleging he had been paid by Ukrainian intelligence services.
Another senior officer, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, was killed in December 2024 when a bomb hidden in an electric scooter detonated outside his apartment building in Moscow. Kirillov led a military unit responsible for defenses against nuclear, chemical, and biological threats. Russian officials also blamed Ukraine for that attack.
