A senior Russian general was killed on Monday, December 22nd, after an explosive device detonated under the chassis of his car in southern Moscow, according to Russian investigators. Authorities said the blast was being investigated as a murder.
Russia’s Investigative Committee identified the victim as Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, 56, who headed the General Staff’s training department. A criminal case has been opened into his murder. Investigators said they are examining several possible motives, including potential involvement by Ukrainian special forces.
The killing is the latest in a series of attacks targeting senior Russian military officials and pro-Kremlin figures since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Kyiv has been accused by Moscow of involvement in several such incidents.
In recent years, multiple high-profile figures have been killed in bombings, including General Yaroslav Moskalik near Moscow in April and Igor Kirillov, head of Russia’s chemical and biological defence forces, who died in a Moscow explosion in December 2024. Other cases include the killing of military blogger Maxim Fomin in 2023 and the 2022 car bombing that killed Daria Dugina, daughter of nationalist philosopher Alexander Dugin.
