Russian authorities are investigating a car explosion in southern Moscow on Monday that killed Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, a senior figure in the country’s military leadership. The blast occurred in a parking area next to a residential building, according to Russian media reports. Sarvarov, who headed the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces’ General Staff, was critically injured in the explosion and later died from his wounds, the Investigative Committee confirmed.
Criminal Case and Ongoing Inquiry
Investigators opened a criminal case into Sarvarov’s death shortly after the incident and said the motive remains unknown. Officials have not disclosed details about how the explosive device was planted or detonated, but said the killing is being treated as a targeted attack. The Investigative Committee stated that the inquiry is ongoing and that authorities are working to reconstruct the sequence of events leading up to the explosion.
Possible Ukrainian Involvement
Russian investigators are examining several possible scenarios, including the involvement of Ukrainian intelligence services. “Investigators are pursuing numerous lines of enquiry regarding the murder. One of these is that the crime was orchestrated by Ukrainian intelligence services,” Investigative Committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko said. She added that forensic and explosives examinations have been ordered, witnesses and eyewitnesses are being questioned, and surveillance camera footage from the area is being reviewed.
Silence From Kyiv
Ukrainian authorities have not commented on the accusations. Russian officials have also not named any suspects or publicly presented evidence linking the attack to Ukraine or any other foreign actor.
Series of High-Profile Attacks
The killing is the latest in a series of deadly incidents targeting senior Russian military figures in Moscow since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov was killed in December 2024 by a remotely detonated scooter, while Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik died in April after a car bomb explosion. Ukraine has not officially claimed responsibility for either attack.
