Russian authorities have confirmed that a high-ranking military official was killed in an explosion that occurred in Moscow, which is another in a series of attacks on members of the Russian military and security apparatus since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
According to the Russian Investigative Committee, the deceased Sarvarov served as the head of the operational training department within the armed forces, which made him one of the key people in charge of planning and improving the combat readiness of Russian units. This is a position of great strategic importance, especially in the context of the war in Ukraine.
Investigative authorities say that several versions of events are currently being considered, and one of the main theories involves the possible involvement of Ukrainian intelligence services. Official Kyiv has not yet commented on the allegations, and as in previous similar cases, Ukraine maintains a policy of not publicly confirming or claiming responsibility for targeted attacks on Russian military or security officials.
Investigators and forensic teams were dispatched to the site of the explosion, which according to available information is located in the southern part of the Russian capital. Russian media reported that the explosion occurred in a parking lot near a residential building, causing panic among residents of that part of Moscow. For now, it is not known if there were any other injuries in the incident.
This attack further increases the concern of the Russian authorities about the security situation in the capital, considering that in the past almost three years, Moscow has been the scene of several assassinations and explosions directed against high-ranking military and security officials.
Let us remind you that in April of this year, General Jaroslav Moskalik was killed in a car bomb attack in Moscow, while in December 2024, General Igor Kirillov was killed when an explosive device, hidden in an electric car, was activated remotely. That case attracted a lot of attention from the international public because of the sophistication of the execution of the attack.
After Kirillov’s death, an unnamed source in Ukrainian security circles told the BBC that the general was killed in an operation by Ukrainian security services. However, this information has never been officially confirmed, nor has Ukraine claimed responsibility, in line with its long-standing practice of not publicizing such actions.
A series of such attacks points to an increasingly intense “shadow war” that, parallel to the battles on the front, is taking place inside Russia. While Moscow insists that these are acts of terrorism and foreign sabotage, analysts point out that the targets are mostly carefully selected individuals who play key roles in leading or supporting Russian military operations in Ukraine.
The investigation into the latest incident is ongoing, and Russian authorities have announced that they will keep the public informed of new findings as additional evidence is collected.
(TIP/Source: federalna.ba/BBC)
