Moscow, Dec 22: A senior Russian military officer was killed on Monday after an explosive device detonated beneath his car in southern Moscow, authorities said, with investigators examining possible Ukrainian involvement.
Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff, died from injuries sustained in the blast, Russia’s Investigative Committee said.
“The explosive device went off under the vehicle,” committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko said, confirming that Sarvarov succumbed to his wounds shortly after the incident.
Petrenko said investigators were exploring several possible motives and scenarios behind the killing.
“One of the lines of enquiry is that the crime was organized by Ukrainian intelligence services,” she said.
The blast occurred in a residential area of the Russian capital, officials said, adding that a criminal case has been opened and forensic examinations are underway.
