A senior Russian general was killed in southern Moscow on Monday when an explosive device planted under his car detonated, sending shockwaves through the Russian military establishment. Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, head of the training department within the General Staff, was the latest high-ranking official to fall victim to a targeted attack on Russian soil.
The Investigative Committee, Russia’s agency responsible for probing major crimes, confirmed it has launched an inquiry into Sarvarov’s “murder” and is exploring multiple leads, including a possible link to Ukrainian special forces. Authorities cautioned that the investigation is ongoing, and no definitive conclusions have been drawn.
This incident adds to a growing list of attacks targeting Russian military officials and pro-Kremlin figures since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In April 2023, Deputy General Yaroslav Moskalik was killed in a car blast near Moscow.
Later that year, military blogger Maxim Fomin died after a statuette exploded in a Saint Petersburg café. In December 2024, Igor Kirillov, head of Russia’s radiological, chemical, and biological defence forces, was killed when a booby-trapped electric scooter exploded in Moscow, an attack claimed by Ukraine’s SBU security service. Even high-profile civilians have been targeted, including Daria Dugina, daughter of ultranationalist ideologue Alexander Dugin, who was killed in a car bomb attack in August 2022.
The assassination of General Sarvarov underscores the ongoing vulnerabilities of Russia’s military leadership amid the protracted conflict with Ukraine. Security analysts say the pattern of attacks reflects both the high stakes and escalating tensions surrounding the war, highlighting the reach of targeted operations against key figures in Moscow.
Russian authorities have vowed to bring those responsible to justice, but the string of successful attacks has raised concerns about the security of top officials within the country.
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