Russian General Dies in Moscow Car Bombing

A car bomb detonated in Moscow on the morning of December 22nd, killing General Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Department of the Russian General Staff. This is according to Russian news agency Tass, which cited Investigative Committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko. Authorities suspect Ukrainian intelligence services were behind the attack.

Reports of the explosion first surfaced shortly before, indicating it occurred in the courtyard of a building in southern Moscow.

Russian investigators are exploring several possibilities, including the theory that Ukrainian special services organized the bombing. They are currently investigating the scene, questioning witnesses, and reviewing CCTV footage, Petrenko stated.

Sarvarov, 56, was the director of the operational training department of the Army General Staff. Notably, President Vladimir Putin personally awarded him the rank of lieutenant general in May 2024, as Tass reported.

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, confirmed that security services immediately informed President Putin about the incident.