Russian general killed by bomb under his car and Moscow says Ukraine may be behind it

Moscow — A Russian general was killed Monday morning when an explosive device detonated under his car in Moscow, and investigators said Ukraine could be behind the attack, the third such killing of a top military officer in a year.

Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, died from his wounds, said Svetlana Petrenko, spokeswoman for Russia’s Investigative Committee, the country’s main criminal investigation agency.

“Investigators are pursuing numerous lines of inquiry into the murder. One of them is that the crime was orchestrated by the Ukrainian intelligence services,” Petrenko said.

From Moscow sent troops to Ukraine almost four years agoRussian authorities have blamed Ukraine for several murders of military officers and public figures in Russia. Ukraine has claimed responsibility for some of them. He has not yet commented on Monday’s death.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said President Vladimir Putin was immediately informed of Sarvarov’s murder.

The Defense Ministry said Sarvarov had previously fought in Chechnya and participated in Moscow’s military campaign in Syria.

A little over a year ago, on December 17, 2024, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, head of the military nuclear, biological and chemical protection forces, was Dies from a bomb hidden in an electric scooter. outside his apartment building. Kirillov’s assistant also died. Ukraine’s security service claimed responsibility for the attack.

An Uzbek man was quickly arrested and accused of killing Kirillov on behalf of the Ukrainian security service.

Russian President Vladimir Putin described Kirillov’s killing as a “big mistake” made by Russian security agencies, saying they should learn from it and improve their efficiency.

But in April. Another senior Russian military officer, Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik, deputy head of the main operational department of the General Staff, was He dies from an explosive device placed in his car. parked near his apartment building on the outskirts of Moscow. An alleged perpetrator was quickly arrested.

Moscow has also blamed Ukraine for several bombings and other attacks in Russia.