Russian General Killed In Moscow Car Bombing

A senior Russian military officer, Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces' General Staff, was killed on Monday, in a car bomb explosion in Moscow's Yasenevo district.

The blast, which occurred at approximately 06:55 Moscow time as Sarvarov was leaving a parking space in his Kia Sorento, resulted in his death from severe injuries, including multiple shrapnel wounds and a fractured facial bone.

The explosive device was placed under the chassis of Sarvarov’s vehicle, detonating as he was driving. The blast caused severe damage to the car, with one door blown off and blood visible on the driver’s seat; the vehicle was described as mangled and charred. Seven other cars were also damaged in the explosion. Witnesses reported a loud bang, initially mistaking it for a downed drone, with no fire observed.

The Russian Investigative Committee confirmed the death and stated that forensic examinations, witness interviews, and surveillance footage reviews are underway. The Kremlin confirmed that President Vladimir Putin was immediately informed of the incident.

Investigators have opened a criminal case under articles 105 and 222.1 of the Russian Criminal Code (murder committed by a particularly dangerous method; illegal handling of explosives) and are pursuing multiple lines of inquiry, including the possibility that the attack was orchestrated by Ukrainian intelligence services.

Sarvarov, 56, had served as head of the Operational Training Directorate for nine years, overseeing combat training and readiness for Russia’s armed forces during the war in Ukraine. He had extensive military experience, including participation in Russia’s campaigns in Chechnya during the 1990s and in Syria, where Russian forces supported the Assad regime.

Russia has previously blamed Ukraine for similar assassinations of senior military figures, including Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov (killed in a scooter bomb attack in 2024) and Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik (killed in a car bomb in April 2025).

Ukraine has not yet commented on the killing, despite having claimed responsibility for previous attacks on Russian military personnel. The attack marks the third such killing of a senior Russian military officer in just over a year, highlighting a pattern of targeted assassinations in Moscow; as President Donald Trump's envoy hold talks with Ukrainian officials in Miami, Florida, to discuss the U.S-proposed peace plan to end the Russia-ukraine war.