Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, a senior Russian military officer overseeing operational training across the armed forces, was killed on Monday morning in a targeted car bombing in southern Moscow.

The attack marks at least the third assassination of a high-ranking general in the capital since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The explosion occurred around 7 a.m. on Yasenevaya Street, when a device detonated beneath Sarvarov’s Kia Sorento SUV. The 55-year-old died from shrapnel wounds, according to preliminary reports from Russia’s Investigative Committee, which has opened a murder probe.

Sarvarov was a veteran of campaigns in Chechnya, Syria, and Ukraine, and held a pivotal role in shaping troop readiness. No group has claimed responsibility, but investigators are examining possible involvement by Ukrainian intelligence services, consistent with earlier incidents.

Previous assassinations include Igor Kirillov, Russia’s chemical weapons chief, killed in a December 2024 Moscow bombing and other senior officers targeted in similar attacks since the war began.

The killings highlight persistent vulnerabilities for Russia’s top brass despite heightened security measures. Ukrainian officials have not commented, though in past cases they have denied direct involvement. Russia has vowed a thorough investigation, framing the incident as part of the escalating shadow war dimension of the conflict.