By Flava Digital Analysis Team
A high-ranking Russian general was killed Monday morning after an explosive device detonated underneath his vehicle in southern Moscow, according to official statements from Russian law enforcement.
The victim has been identified as Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, 56, the head of the Operational Training Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. The incident occurred at approximately 7:00 a.m. local time on Yasenevaya Street in the city’s Orekhovo-Borisovo Yuzhnoye district.
Details of the Incident
According to the Russian Investigative Committee, the nation’s primary criminal investigation body, an improvised explosive device (IED) was deliberately placed beneath the chassis of a white Kia Sorento. Investigators stated the device detonated shortly after the vehicle began moving, and General Sarvarov died from his injuries at the scene.
Images released by the committee showed a heavily damaged vehicle in a residential parking area with its windows shattered and sections of the bodywork missing.
The Victim’s Background
As the head of the Operational Training Directorate, a position he had held since 2016, Sarvarov was responsible for overseeing the preparation and readiness of the Russian Armed Forces. His military record included:
- Chechen Wars: Participation in counter-terrorism operations in southern Russia during the 1990s and early 2000s.
- Syria: Involvement in Moscow’s military campaign between 2015 and 2016.
- Ukraine: Responsibility for planning and overseeing major training programs for troops currently deployed in the conflict.
Official Investigation
The Russian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case for “murder.” Svetlana Petrenko, the spokesperson for the committee, announced that investigators are pursuing multiple theories. “One of these is that the crime was orchestrated by Ukrainian intelligence services,” Petrenko stated.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that President Vladimir Putin was immediately briefed on the assassination.
Wider Context
The killing of General Sarvarov is the third high-profile assassination of a senior Russian military officer in the Moscow region within the last 13 months:
- December 2024: Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, chief of chemical protection forces, was killed by a bomb hidden on an electric scooter.
- April 2025: Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, a deputy head in the General Staff, died in a car bombing outside Moscow.
While Russian authorities have frequently attributed such attacks to the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) or military intelligence (GUR), Ukrainian officials typically do not issue formal claims of responsibility for operations occurring on Russian territory.
Sources: BBC | DW | The Guardian | The Washington Post
