There was an Exploder in the Car of the Senior General who Died, Russia Holds an Investigation

JAKARTA - Russian authorities said an explosive device killed one of its senior generals in a bomb blast in Moscow.

Russian Investigative Committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko said the head of the Operational Training Directorate in the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, was killed in an explosion in southern Moscow on Monday morning.

"According to the investigation, on the morning of December 22, an explosive device planted under a car was activated on Yasenevaya Street in Moscow," Patrenko told TASS, as quoted (22/12).

"Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Directorate of Operational Training of the General Staff, died from injuries caused by the explosion," he continued.

Petrenko explained that the Moscow Main Investigative Directorate had opened a criminal case under Article 105 (murder committed in a manner endangering society) and Article 222.1 (illegal trade in explosives) of the Russian Criminal Code.

He also noted that investigators were investigating several theories related to the murder.

"One of the possibilities is that the crime was organized by Ukrainian security agencies," Petrenko explained.

Fanil Sarvarov was born on March 11, 1969 in Gremyachinsk, Perm Region, Russia. He held all the main command positions during his military career.

In 2015-2016, Sarvarov carried out tasks related to planning and conducting military operations in Syria. In 2016, he was appointed head of the Directorate of Operational Training of the General Staff.

Sarvarov was awarded the Order of Courage, the Suvorov Medal, and the Order of Service to the Fatherland, first and second classes.