A Russian lieutenant general was killed Monday when an explosive device detonated beneath his vehicle in a residential district of southern Moscow, marking the latest in a string of targeted attacks on senior officers as the war in Ukraine increasingly reaches Russia's capital.
Investigators said the blast occurred as the officer, identified as Lt. Gen. Sarvarov, began his morning commute on Yasenevaya Street in the Orekhovo-Borisovo Yuzhnoye district. Authorities described the device as an improvised explosive placed under the driver's seat of his Kia Sorento and likely triggered remotely or by movement of the vehicle.
Russia's Investigative Committee opened a criminal case into what it called a "premeditated murder," alleging the operation bore the signature of Ukrainian intelligence services. Kyiv has not commented publicly on the incident.
The killing was immediately reported to Vladimir Putin, according to the Kremlin, and came as Moscow remained under heightened security amid previous attacks on military figures. Sarvarov had overseen combat readiness and training for Russian forces deployed in Ukraine and had served in both Chechen wars and in Syria between 2015 and 2016.
The attack follows a pattern of assassinations targeting senior officers with long careers in Russia's security apparatus. In April, Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik was killed in a car bombing east of Moscow, while earlier in the year Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, head of Russia's nuclear and chemical protection forces, died when a bomb concealed on an electric scooter exploded nearby.
Russian officials and pro-Kremlin lawmakers have framed the incidents as evidence of deep penetration by hostile operatives. Andrey Kolesnik, a member of the State Duma's defense committee, called for "total retribution" against what he described as terrorist cells operating inside Russia.
Forensic specialists said the device used Monday appeared designed to direct the blast upward through the chassis. Photographs from the scene showed extensive damage to the front of the vehicle, with the driver's side door nearly torn off. Residents in surrounding apartment blocks reported a "deafening roar" that shattered windows, with some saying the shockwave was felt several floors above street level.
Emergency crews transported Sarvarov to a local trauma center, where he later died from severe lower-body injuries and shrapnel wounds, officials said. The explosion has heightened public unease in Moscow, where the conflict has long been portrayed by state media as a distant "special military operation."
The timing of the killing added to its sensitivity. The explosion occurred hours before a planned meeting between Russian and Western officials in Florida to discuss possible cease-fire terms, underscoring the fragile diplomatic environment surrounding the war in Ukraine.
Some Russian defense officials argued the attack should prompt escalation. Lawmakers said Moscow should intensify strikes on what they called "decision-making centres" in Kyiv, language frequently used by hard-liners advocating broader military action.
