Russia’s Investigative Committee said Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov died on Monday morning after an explosive device planted under a vehicle detonated. Sarvarov, 56, headed the armed forces’ operational training department.
The committee said investigators are examining several theories, including the possible involvement of Ukrainian intelligence services. Ukraine has not commented on the incident.
Investigative teams were deployed to the scene in a car park near an apartment block in the southern part of Moscow. Images from the area showed a heavily damaged white car with its doors blown out, surrounded by other vehicles.
Since Russia launched its full scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, several senior military figures have been targeted in the Russian capital. General Yaroslav Moskalik was killed in a car bomb attack in April, while General Igor Kirillov died in December 2024 when a device hidden in a scooter was detonated remotely.
A Ukrainian source later told the BBC that Kirillov was killed by Ukraine’s security service, though this was never officially confirmed. Ukraine does not publicly claim responsibility for targeted attacks.
