One of Vladimir Putin’s top generals has been killed in a car bombing in Moscow, marking the latest in a string of targeted attacks that have struck close to the heart of Russian power.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, 56, died after an explosive device planted under a car exploded Monday morning in the southern part of the capital. Sarvarov was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries but later died, according to officials. Investigators have opened a criminal case for murder and illegal trafficking of explosives.
The blast happened in a parking area near an apartment building, per the BBC. Images from the scene show a white Kia Sorento destroyed by the explosion, with doors blown outward and debris scattered across nearby vehicles. Law enforcement officers cordoned off the area while forensic teams examined the wreckage.
Sarvarov held a high-ranking position in Russia’s armed forces. Officials say he headed the operational training department, which prepared troops and oversaw combat readiness. His death marks the third Russian military official killed in a bombing in Moscow in the past year.
The Investigative Committee noted that one theory under consideration is that Ukrainian intelligence services planted the bomb. As of this report, Ukrainian authorities have not claimed responsibility for the attack.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that President Vladimir Putin was informed of Sarvarov’s death right away, highlighting the seriousness of the incident for the Kremlin.
Since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow has experienced a string of high-profile assassinations and bombings targeting military officials and individuals connected to the war. In 2022, Darya Dugina, the daughter of a prominent nationalist and close ally of Putin, died in a suspected car bombing outside the capital.
More recently, Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik was killed in a car bomb attack last April, and Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov died in December 2024 after an explosive device hidden in a scooter was detonated remotely. In Kirillov’s case, Ukraine’s security service claimed responsibility for the attack, stating he was a legitimate target.
Russian media have described Sarvarov as a veteran of several conflicts and is a big loss for Putin Reports indicate he participated in combat operations during the Ossetian-Ingush conflict and the Chechen wars in the 1990s and early 2000s. He also reportedly led Russian military operations in Syria from 2015 to 2016.
This killing raises new concerns about security in Moscow, where senior officials were once believed to be mostly protected from such attacks. The pattern has become harder to overlook, with explosives planted in everyday locations, strikes occurring in residential areas, and senior figures caught in the blast radius.
Investigators say work at the scene is ongoing and that they are reviewing surveillance footage and forensic evidence. No arrests have been announced.
This attack comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says peace talks are advancing after the US gave drafts of a proposal, which many believed favored the Kremlin.
