A high-ranking Russian military commander was assassinated in Moscow on Monday morning when an explosive device detonated under his vehicle, marking the third such killing of a senior officer within a year. Russian authorities have indicated that Ukrainian intelligence services may be responsible for the attack.
Details of the Attack
Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, who led the Operational Training Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, died from injuries sustained in the explosion. The incident occurred in southern Moscow on December 22, 2025.
Svetlana Petrenko, spokesperson for Russia's top criminal investigation agency, the Investigative Committee, confirmed the death. "Investigators are pursuing numerous lines of inquiry regarding the murder. One of these is that the crime was orchestrated by Ukrainian intelligence services," Petrenko stated.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said President Vladimir Putin was informed immediately about the killing of General Sarvarov.
A Pattern of Targeted Attacks
This assassination follows a pattern of targeted attacks against Russian military leadership over the past year:
- On December 17, 2024, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, chief of Russia's nuclear, biological and chemical protection forces, was killed by a bomb hidden on an electric scooter outside his apartment. Ukraine's security service claimed responsibility for that attack.
- In April 2025, another senior officer, Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik, a deputy head of the main operational department in the General Staff, was killed by an explosive device placed in his car near his home outside Moscow.
The Russian Defense Ministry noted that Sarvarov had previously seen combat in Chechnya and participated in Moscow's military campaign in Syria.
Investigations and Broader Context
Following the killing of General Kirillov in 2024, an Uzbek man was swiftly arrested and charged with carrying out the attack on behalf of Ukrainian security services. President Putin described that incident as a "major blunder" by Russia's own security agencies, urging them to improve their efficiency.
Similarly, a suspect was quickly apprehended after the attack on General Moskalik in April. Moscow has repeatedly blamed Ukraine for orchestrating a series of bombings and other attacks on Russian soil.
The latest assassination of General Sarvarov underscores the ongoing shadow war extending beyond the front lines of the conflict in Ukraine, targeting high-value military figures deep within Russia.
