A senior Russian military official was killed on Monday, December 22, 2025, after an explosive device planted beneath his car detonated, marking the third assassination of a high-ranking officer this year.
Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces’ General Staff, succumbed to his injuries following the blast. Russia’s Investigative Committee has launched a probe into the incident and is examining a possible link to Ukrainian intelligence.
Investigative Committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko stated that authorities are pursuing several lines of inquiry, noting that one theory suggests the attack was “planned and coordinated by Ukrainian intelligence services.” Ukraine has not yet commented on the allegation.
Sarvarov was regarded as a seasoned and respected figure within the Russian military. According to the Ministry of Defence, he previously served in Chechnya and was also involved in Russia’s military operations in Syria.
This incident follows a series of similar attacks on senior officers. In December 2024, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, who headed Russia’s nuclear, biological, and chemical protection forces, was killed by a bomb attached to an electric scooter. In April, another blast claimed the life of Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik, a deputy chief of the General Staff’s main operational department, after an explosive device detonated under his vehicle.
In response to the latest killing, Russian President Vladimir Putin called on security agencies to draw lessons from these incidents and enhance their effectiveness.
