Moscow is investigating the death of a high-ranking Russian military official following a car bombing Friday, marking the second such incident in the capital this month [[1]], [[2]], and [[3]]. Major General Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces, died after a device detonated in his vehicle, prompting a criminal investigation and raising questions about escalating security risks within Russia. This attack follows the December 4th killing of another senior officer, Yaroslav Moskalik, and occurs against a backdrop of reported threats targeting russian veterans and officials.
A Russian military general died Friday after a bomb detonated in his car in southern Moscow, Russian investigators confirmed. The attack, which targeted Major General Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces, is being treated as a targeted assassination amid a series of similar incidents in the capital.
According to the Russian Investigative Committee, the explosion occurred on Yasenevaya Street on December 22. Sarvarov was inside a 2013 Kia Sorento when the device, planted under the vehicle, was triggered remotely.
Initial reports indicated Sarvarov was critically injured, suffering shrapnel wounds to his legs, facial fractures, and multiple traumas. Rescue workers extracted him from the wreckage and rushed him to a hospital. However, sources later confirmed to RBC news that the general succumbed to his injuries.
Authorities have launched a criminal investigation into the incident, alleging “intentional infliction of harm endangering life” and “illegal trafficking of explosive substances.” If convicted, those responsible could face a life sentence.
The attack is the second car bombing in Moscow this month. On December 4, a similar explosion killed Yaroslav Moskalik, Deputy Head of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Federation. That incident is also being investigated as a murder and illegal arms trafficking case.
Sarvarov, 56, was a veteran of the Russian military, having served extensively in Chechnya and Syria. He participated in the Chechen conflicts between 1992 and 2003, as well as the Ossetian-Ingush conflict during the same period. He also took part in Russia’s military operation in Syria from 2015 to 2016. Sarvarov was promoted to the rank of Major General in May 2024.
The series of attacks raises concerns about security within Russia and could signal escalating tensions. In July, an explosion occurred in a car carrying veterans of Russian special forces in central Moscow. In June, bomb threats were made against three vehicles in the western part of the city, though searches by bomb disposal experts found no explosives. TASS reported details of the investigation.
The Investigative Committee is pursuing all leads in the case, seeking to identify and apprehend those responsible for the bombing and the broader pattern of attacks. RBC has more on the investigation.
