Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Russian General Staff’s Operational Training Department, was killed early Monday when a bomb exploded beneath his car on Yaseneva Street in Moscow, investigators said.
Video from the scene showed a heavily damaged white vehicle in a residential area.
Fanil Sarvarov, Head of the Operational Training Department of the Russian armed forces, was blown up in a car in Moscow and died.
Sarvarov took part in Russia’s full-scale invasion into Ukraine, took part in wars in Chechnya and Syria. pic.twitter.com/Cp8ORUR5Ki
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) December 22, 2025
Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case into the incident, saying investigators are exploring theories including possible involvement by Ukrainian special services.
Kyiv has not commented on the accusation. Sarvarov, 56, is the third senior Russian officer killed since late last year.
In April, Ukraine claimed responsibility for a car-bomb killing of Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik near Moscow, and in December 2024, it said it orchestrated the death of Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, head of Russia’s chemical, radiological, and biological weapons unit.
Beyond high-profile assassinations, Ukraine has demonstrated the ability to strike deep into Russian territory. In June, Operation Spiderweb used swarms of drones to attack multiple airfields, destroying at least 10 planes and damaging dozens more.
This month, Kyiv claimed an underwater drone sank a Russian submarine at a Black Sea port, a claim Russia denied.
The general’s killing comes amid a new round of talks over the weekend, as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes for a peace deal.
