Moscow, December 22, 2025 — A senior Russian military official was killed in a car bomb explosion in Moscow on Monday morning, Russian authorities have confirmed, marking another high-profile attack in the Russian capital since the start of the Ukraine war.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, 56, died after an explosive device planted under a vehicle detonated in a car park near an apartment complex in southern Moscow. Sarvarov, who headed the armed forces’ operational training department, was rushed to hospital but later succumbed to his injuries.
Investigators said they had opened a criminal case into murder and the illegal trafficking of explosives. One of the key theories being examined is the possible involvement of Ukrainian intelligence services, though no evidence has been publicly presented. Ukraine has not commented on the allegation and, as a matter of policy, does not officially acknowledge responsibility for targeted attacks.
Images from the scene showed a heavily damaged white car with its doors blown out, surrounded by debris and nearby vehicles. Forensic teams were seen examining the site hours after the blast.
According to Russian media, Sarvarov had a long military career, taking part 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 between 2015 and 2016.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said President Vladimir Putin was immediately informed of the general’s death.
The killing adds to a growing list of targeted attacks in Moscow since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In recent years, several military officials and high-profile figures have been killed in bombings, including the 2022 car bomb attack that killed Darya Dugina, daughter of a prominent nationalist figure, and the deaths of Generals Yaroslav Moskalik and Igor Kirillov in separate incidents.
Russian authorities say investigations are ongoing and have vowed to bring those responsible to justice.
