Daijiworld Media Network - Moscow

Moscow, Dec 22: Russian law enforcement and security agencies have launched a wide-ranging investigation into the killing of Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, who died after a powerful explosion destroyed his car in southern Moscow on Monday. Among the possible angles being examined is a suspected involvement of Ukrainian intelligence services.

Sarvarov, who headed the Operational Training Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, succumbed to severe injuries after an explosive device planted beneath a vehicle detonated on Yasenevaya Street earlier in the day, according to local media reports.

Russia’s state-run Tass news agency quoted official sources as saying that multiple theories are under consideration. One of these reportedly points to the role of Ukrainian intelligence. The Moscow Prosecutor’s Office is supervising the probe, while investigators and forensic specialists from the Investigative Committee are working at the site. Several examinations, including forensic and explosives analysis, have been ordered. Authorities are also questioning witnesses and reviewing CCTV footage, with the central office of the Investigative Committee closely monitoring the investigation.
Sarvarov had led the Operational Training Department since 2016 and was a decorated officer, having received the Order of Courage, the Suvorov Medal, and both first- and second-degree Orders of Merit for the Fatherland.

Over the course of his career, he participated in military operations during the Ossetian–Ingush conflict, counter-terrorism missions in Chechnya, and assignments related to Russia’s operations in Syria.

The incident has drawn comparisons with a similar high-profile killing last year, when Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, head of Russia’s Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defence Forces, was killed in a bomb explosion in southeastern Moscow. Senior Russian officials at the time accused Ukraine of orchestrating that attack.

Kirillov and his aide were reportedly killed as they exited a residential building on Ryazansky Avenue to enter an official vehicle. Investigators later said an improvised explosive device containing TNT had likely been attached to an electric scooter near the entrance and was detonated remotely, possibly via a radio signal or mobile phone.