Russian general assassinated in Moscow

A Russian general has been killed in a car bomb blast in Moscow, RT reported citing investigators.

Officials from the Investigative Committee of Russia identified the victim as Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, head of operational training at the General Staff.

According to the report, an explosive device had been planted beneath the vehicle he was traveling in, and detonated on Monday morning in the southern part of the Russian capital. The blast also damaged several other vehicles and seriously injured Sarvarov’s driver, media reports stated.

According to RT, Russian officials said one line of investigation is an assassination carried out by Ukrainian intelligence services, noting that Kiev has previously used explosive devices in targeted killings of officials and public figures.

Sarvarov was a career officer with combat experience he received during counterterrorism action in southern Russia in the late 1990s and early 2000s, according to the Defense Ministry’s website. The 56-year-old was appointed in 2016 to lead the department responsible for training senior officers at staff exercises and other events. Previously he was involved in the Russian deployment in Syria, according to RT.