A senior Russian military officer has been killed in an explosion in Moscow, authorities said on Monday, marking the latest high-profile attack targeting military figures since the invasion of Ukraine.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov died after an explosive device planted under a car detonated in the Russian capital. Sarvarov was the head of the armed forces’ operational training department, according to the committee.
Investigators said they were examining several possible motives, including the alleged involvement of Ukrainian intelligence services. Ukraine has not commented on the incident.
Russian officials said investigative teams had been dispatched to the scene, which local media reported was a car park near an apartment building in the southern part of Moscow.
The killing adds to a growing list of attacks on senior Russian military officials in the capital since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In April, General Yaroslav Moskalik was killed in a car bomb attack in Moscow. In December 2024, another senior officer, General Igor Kirillov, died after an explosive device concealed in a scooter was detonated remotely.
A Ukrainian source later said that Kirillov was killed by Ukraine’s security service, though the claim was never officially confirmed. As a matter of policy, Ukrainian authorities do not publicly acknowledge or claim responsibility for targeted attacks.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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