Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, has died after a car explosion in southern Moscow, according to the Investigative Committee of Russia.
According to the Latvian-based Russian news website Meduza, an investigation has been opened for both murder and the illegal trafficking of explosive substances.
The explosion occurred on Monday morning in a parking lot on Yasenevaya Street in the south of the Russian capital. The Investigative Committee said an explosive device had been planted beneath Sarvarov’s vehicle. According to the business daily Kommersant, investigators believe a magnetic proximity mine was used. The committee said several possible motives are being examined, including the involvement of Ukrainian special services.
Telegram channels reporting from the scene said residents heard a loud explosion at around 6:50 a.m., which was audible several blocks away.
Baza, which is closely linked to Russian security services, reported that Sarvarov initially survived the blast but was seriously injured, suffering multiple shrapnel wounds, severe leg injuries, and a facial fracture. Baza and the Telegram channel Shot said Sarvarov managed to drive his Kia Sorento several meters before the explosion, large enough to also damage several nearby vehicles. Photographs from the scene suggest the blast hit the front section of the vehicle. Sarvarov died later in hospital.
🇷🇺🚨 Top-ranking Russian general killed in car bomb attack in southern Moscow.
Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, was killed in the explosion outside his home early on Monday morning.… pic.twitter.com/QjVWXL63KV
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) December 22, 2025According to leaked databases cited by the independent television channel Dozhd, a 2013 Kia Sorento was registered in Sarvarov’s name. It reported that the explosion occurred roughly 150 meters from a residential building housing several officers from the GRU military intelligence service.
Sarvarov was 56 years old. He was born in Russia’s Perm region and graduated from the Kazan Higher Tank Command Red Banner School in 1990, the Malinovsky Military Academy of Armored Forces in 1999, and the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in 2008. He had served as head of the Operational Training Directorate since 2016.
Emergency services continued to work at the site throughout the morning as investigators examined debris and searched for evidence. The Investigative Committee said it is continuing to assess all versions of the killing, including possible foreign involvement.
