Mysterious Attack Trail in Moscow: Russian General Killed by Car Bomb

JAKARTA - A Russian military general was reportedly killed by a car bomb explosion in Moscow, Monday.

Russian authorities said the incident occurred after an explosive planted under a vehicle exploded in a parking area near an apartment in the southern Russian capital.

The Russian Investigative Committee in its official statement said the victim was Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov (56), Head of the Russian Armed Forces Operational Training Department.

Sarvarov was rushed to the hospital, but died from the injuries he suffered.

"The victim died in hospital from serious injuries after the explosion," the Russian Investigative Committee said, quoted by the BBC, Monday, December 22.

Local authorities said they had opened an investigation into the murder and alleged illegal possession of explosives.

One of the possibilities that is being investigated is the involvement of the Ukrainian intelligence service in planting the bomb. Until now, the Ukrainian side has not given an official comment.

A number of investigators have been deployed to the scene, specifically in a parking area near the apartment block. The photos circulating show a white car suffering severe damage, with the vehicle's door thrown off by the explosion, while other vehicles around it appear to be affected.

Russian media reported that Sarvarov has a long track record in the military world. He is known to have been involved in combat operations in the Ossetia-Ingush conflict and the Chechen war in the 1990s to early 2000s, as well as leading a number of Russian military operations in Syria in the 2015-2016 period.

Since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a number of Russian military officials have reportedly been targeted in attacks in Moscow. In April, General Yaroslav Moskalik was killed by a car bomb, while General Igor Kirillov died in December 2024 after an explosive hidden on a scooter was detonated remotely.

Ukrainian sources had told the British media BBC that Kirillov was killed as a result of a Ukrainian security service operation. However, this claim has never been officially confirmed. Ukraine has consistently neither admitted nor claimed involvement in such targeted attacks.