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Top Russian general killed in apparent car bomb explosion in Moscow

An investigator working at the scene where Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov was killed by an explosive device placed under his car in Moscow. Monday, Dec. 22, 2025
An investigator working at the scene where Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov was killed by an explosive device placed under his car in Moscow. Monday, Dec. 22, 2025 Copyright  Investigative Committee of Moscow via AP
Copyright Investigative Committee of Moscow via AP
By Euronews
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An investigation into the explosion which took place in the Russian capital on Monday, killing Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, is under way.

A top Russian general died Monday morning after a car explosion in the south of Moscow, investigators said.

Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces' General Staff, was seriously injured in the blast and was initially taken to hospital, where he died from his wounds.

According to Russian media outlets, the blast occurred in a parking lot next to a residential building.

The committee said the incident is under investigation after a criminal case was opened into Sarvarov's death. The motive remains unknown.

Sarvarov has participated in a series of wars, including Chechnya, Syria and Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to Russian media reports. The Operational Training Directorate is responsible for training and preparation of all Russian troops.

Russian investigators are considering Ukraine as a possible culprit, according to Russia's Investigative Committee.

“Investigators are pursuing numerous lines of enquiry regarding the murder. One of these is that the crime was orchestrated by Ukrainian intelligence services,” Investigative Committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko said.

"The investigation will appoint the necessary examinations, including forensic and explosives. Witnesses and eyewitnesses are being interrogated, and surveillance cameras are being examined," she added.

Kyiv has not yet commented on the claims.

This is not the first such incident in Moscow since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.

Russian Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov was killed by a remotely detonated scooter in December 2024, while Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik died in April in a car bomb. Ukraine has not officially taken responsibility for either of the two deaths.

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