Car bomb kills Russian General in Moscow as investigators point to Ukraine
TOI GLOBAL DESK | TOI GLOBAL | Dec 23, 2025, 23:25 IST
A senior Russian military official was killed in a car bombing in Moscow, prompting an investigation that authorities say may involve Ukrainian intelligence. The attack is the latest in a series of high-profile killings linked to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
TL;DR
A car bomb killed Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov in Moscow. Russian investigators suggest possible Ukrainian involvement. The killing follows similar attacks on senior Russian officers since the war began.
A car bomb killed a senior Russian military officer in Moscow on Monday, marking the third killing of a high-ranking officer in Russia within a year, according to Russian authorities. Investigators said they are considering the possibility that Ukrainian intelligence services were behind the attack.
Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces’ General Staff, died from injuries sustained in the explosion, said Svetlana Petrenko, spokesperson for Russia’s Investigative Committee. The agency is Russia’s top investigative body for criminal matters.
“Investigators are pursuing numerous lines of inquiry regarding the murder,” Petrenko said in a statement. “One of these is that the crime was orchestrated by Ukrainian intelligence services.”
The bomb blast was in Moscow, but the authorities have not shared any more information regarding the precise site or the explosive substance. So far, Ukraine has kept silent about Sarvarov's death.
Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesperson, also reported that the leader of Russia, Vladimir Putin, had also been made aware of the same. In addition to the above, it was also made clear by Dmitry Peskov that prior to that, he was a soldier in Chechnya. More to the point, Sarvarov had even fought for Russia in Syria.
Since Russia launched its full-scale military operation in Ukraine nearly four years ago, Russian officials have accused Kyiv of involvement in several assassinations of military officers and public figures inside Russia. Ukrainian authorities have acknowledged responsibility for some attacks but have denied others.
Just over a year ago, Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, who led Russia’s nuclear, biological and chemical protection forces, was killed when a bomb hidden on an electric scooter detonated outside his apartment building. His assistant was also killed. Ukraine’s security service later claimed responsibility for that attack. Russian investigators arrested an Uzbek national, charging him with carrying out the killing on behalf of Ukrainian intelligence.
President Putin later described Kirillov’s death as a major failure by Russian security services, urging agencies to improve their effectiveness.
In April, another senior officer, Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, deputy head of the General Staff’s main operational department, was killed by an explosive device placed in his car near his home outside Moscow. Authorities said a suspect was arrested shortly after the attack.
Days later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had received a report from Ukraine’s foreign intelligence chief regarding the “liquidation” of senior Russian military figures. He did not name Moskalik but said justice inevitably comes.
To shrink the gap between Russia’s numerically much stronger and technically more advanced military, Ukraine has turned to unconventional tactics, which are being used more and more. Some of the methods employed by Ukraine were drone attacks, the striking of naval assets in the Black Sea, and a surprise incursion into Russia’s Kursk region last year in August. Even though later on, Russian forces pushed out the Ukrainian troops, Western analysts stated that the operation had turned the tables for the Russians and had also given a boost to the morale of the Ukrainians.
On the other hand, Western officials have accused Russia of whipsawing acts of sabotage across Europe to impair the support for Ukraine. However, Moscow has denied such accusations on multiple occasions.
FAQs
A car bomb killed Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov in Moscow. Russian investigators suggest possible Ukrainian involvement. The killing follows similar attacks on senior Russian officers since the war began.
A car bomb killed a senior Russian military officer in Moscow on Monday, marking the third killing of a high-ranking officer in Russia within a year, according to Russian authorities. Investigators said they are considering the possibility that Ukrainian intelligence services were behind the attack.
Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces’ General Staff, died from injuries sustained in the explosion, said Svetlana Petrenko, spokesperson for Russia’s Investigative Committee. The agency is Russia’s top investigative body for criminal matters.
“Investigators are pursuing numerous lines of inquiry regarding the murder,” Petrenko said in a statement. “One of these is that the crime was orchestrated by Ukrainian intelligence services.”
The bomb blast was in Moscow, but the authorities have not shared any more information regarding the precise site or the explosive substance. So far, Ukraine has kept silent about Sarvarov's death.
Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesperson, also reported that the leader of Russia, Vladimir Putin, had also been made aware of the same. In addition to the above, it was also made clear by Dmitry Peskov that prior to that, he was a soldier in Chechnya. More to the point, Sarvarov had even fought for Russia in Syria.
Since Russia launched its full-scale military operation in Ukraine nearly four years ago, Russian officials have accused Kyiv of involvement in several assassinations of military officers and public figures inside Russia. Ukrainian authorities have acknowledged responsibility for some attacks but have denied others.
Just over a year ago, Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, who led Russia’s nuclear, biological and chemical protection forces, was killed when a bomb hidden on an electric scooter detonated outside his apartment building. His assistant was also killed. Ukraine’s security service later claimed responsibility for that attack. Russian investigators arrested an Uzbek national, charging him with carrying out the killing on behalf of Ukrainian intelligence.
President Putin later described Kirillov’s death as a major failure by Russian security services, urging agencies to improve their effectiveness.
In April, another senior officer, Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, deputy head of the General Staff’s main operational department, was killed by an explosive device placed in his car near his home outside Moscow. Authorities said a suspect was arrested shortly after the attack.
Days later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had received a report from Ukraine’s foreign intelligence chief regarding the “liquidation” of senior Russian military figures. He did not name Moskalik but said justice inevitably comes.
To shrink the gap between Russia’s numerically much stronger and technically more advanced military, Ukraine has turned to unconventional tactics, which are being used more and more. Some of the methods employed by Ukraine were drone attacks, the striking of naval assets in the Black Sea, and a surprise incursion into Russia’s Kursk region last year in August. Even though later on, Russian forces pushed out the Ukrainian troops, Western analysts stated that the operation had turned the tables for the Russians and had also given a boost to the morale of the Ukrainians.
On the other hand, Western officials have accused Russia of whipsawing acts of sabotage across Europe to impair the support for Ukraine. However, Moscow has denied such accusations on multiple occasions.
FAQs
- Who was killed in the Moscow bombing?
Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, the high-ranking officer in Russia's General Staff. - Who is probing the attack?
The inquiry is being directed by Russia’s Investigative Committee. - Has Ukraine commented on the killing?
No, Ukrainian officials have not commented on Sarvarov’s death. - Is this the first incident of this kind?
No, this is the third killing of a senior Russian military officer in a span of about one year. - What is the larger picture?
The attack has occurred during hostilities between Russia and Ukraine that are still going on, and a series of covert operations that have been attributed to both sides.