A senior Russian military commander has been assassinated in a targeted car bombing in the heart of Moscow, with authorities swiftly pointing the finger at Ukrainian intelligence services.
Explosion in the Capital
Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, a high-ranking officer serving as head of the operational training directorate within the Russian armed forces' general staff, died on Monday morning. The attack occurred at approximately 7am local time on Yaseneva Street in southern Moscow.
According to official reports, an explosive device detonated beneath the general's vehicle while it was parked. The force of the blast proved fatal, with Sarvarov succumbing to his injuries at the scene.
Investigation Points to Kyiv
Russia's main investigative body, the Investigative Committee, has confirmed it is treating the incident as a murder. Spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko stated that while multiple lines of enquiry are being pursued, a primary theory is that Ukrainian intelligence services orchestrated the attack.
This incident follows a established pattern of covert actions attributed to Kyiv on Russian soil. In a strikingly similar operation in December 2024, Ukraine's security service claimed responsibility for the assassination of another senior officer.
Precedent of Targeted Attacks
That previous attack claimed the life of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, chief of Russia's nuclear, biological and chemical protection forces. He was killed by a bomb concealed on an electric scooter outside his apartment building. His assistant, Ilya Polikarpov, also died in that blast.
The killing of Kirillov came just one day after Kyiv had levelled formal criminal charges against him, underscoring the politically charged nature of these operations. The latest attack on General Sarvarov suggests a continued campaign targeting Russia's military leadership.
The brazen assassination in Moscow raises serious questions about security within the Russian capital and marks a significant escalation in the shadow war being waged between the two nations.
