Russian general killed by bomb planted under his car in Moscow
Lt Gen Fanil Sarvarov died from his injuries after an explosive device detonated under his vehicle
A Russian general was killed in a car bombing on Monday in an attack Moscow has claimed could be another assassination by Ukrainian intelligence.
Lt Gen Fanil Sarvarov died after an explosive device detonated under his car in the capital around 7am. Seven other vehicles were reportedly damaged in the blast.
Sarvarov, 56, was rushed to hospital in a serious condition, with multiple shrapnel wounds, severe leg injuries, a facial fracture and concussion before succumbing to his injuries, lenta.ru reported.
The veteran officer of the armed forces had been responsible for the military’s combat training and readiness for the war in Ukraine before his death.
“Investigators are pursuing numerous lines of enquiry regarding the murder,” a spokesperson for Russia’s investigative committee said. “One of these is that the crime was orchestrated by Ukrainian intelligence services.” There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.
Local media reported that the car blew up in a parking lot on Moscow’s Yaseneva Street, with the driver inside. The vehicle had reportedly been driven several metres before the explosion.
Forensic teams were on hand Monday morning to establish the cause of the explosion, which they believe came from the front of the car.
Moscow has opened a criminal case in respect of a “murder committed in a socially dangerous manner” and the illegal trafficking of explosives, a spokesperson for the investigative committee told the state news agency Tass.
Sarvarov was the head of the operational training directorate of the Russian armed forces’ general staff. Russian media reported that he had been involved in the Chechen wars in the 1990s and 2000s, and had a role in operations in Syria, before taking a key post in Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin was “immediately informed” of his death via special service channels, the Kremlin said.
Russia has blamed Ukraine for the sudden deaths of a number of high-ranking officials since its 2022 invasion. Ukraine’s security service claimed responsibility for an attack against a high-ranking Russian soldier last December.
Lt Gen Igor Kirillov, the chief of the military’s nuclear, biological and chemical protection forces, was killed by a bomb hidden on an electric scooter outside his apartment building a day after Kyiv levelled criminal charges against him.
General Yaroslav Moskalik was killed in April when a car exploded next to his house in Moscow. The Kremlin blamed Ukraine, which did not comment.
Sarvarov’s death comes at a precarious time, as both Ukrainian and Russian diplomats try to get the upper hand in peace talks mediated by the United States.
Ukraine and Russia have each escalated their attacks in recent weeks in an apparent bid to gain leverage. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that Russia had launched 2,500 missiles, bombs and drones at Ukraine in the past week.
A blistering attack on port infrastructure in Odesa on Friday night killed eight people and injured 27 others. Some of the victims were on a bus that was at the centre of the strike, Ukrainian officials said.
Ukraine in turn claimed to have carried out attacks on Russian Su-27 jets in Crimea, a tanker off the coast of Libya, and a patrol ship in the Caspian Sea. Ukraine also continues to pound Russian energy infrastructure in the Caspian Sea.
The US held talks with both sides in Miami last week aimed at aligning their positions, with the issues of territory and security guarantees still unresolved.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff gave assurances at the end of the week that talks were progressing well. But French president Emmanuel Macron suggested he was open to restarting dialogue with Putin if the talks failed, casting doubt on their progress.
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