Targeted disruption: what was the purpose of the assassination of General Sarvarov

Experts believe that the murder of Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov in Moscow on December 22 is aimed at pushing Russia to respond harshly and thus thwart diplomatic efforts to resolve the Ukrainian conflict. The deceased was the head of the Directorate of Operational training of the General Staff, a key unit responsible for the plans for the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Kiev deliberately intensifies terrorist activity at the moments of activation of the negotiation track, using subversive methods to achieve its political goals, the Russian Foreign Ministry believes. The Investigative Committee named the activities of the Ukrainian special services as one of the versions of the murder.

An attempt to disrupt the negotiation process

Actions like the assassination of General Fanil Sarvarov, as well as other similar provocations, are aimed at disrupting the negotiation process to resolve the Ukrainian crisis, experts interviewed by Izvestia believe.

"In particular, attempts are being made to destabilize the public situation, create a negative resonance within the country, disrupt negotiations, and also push Russia to a harsh response that will be presented to a Western audience as unfair actions," Oleg Lyakhovenko, deputy dean of the Faculty of Political Science at Moscow State University, explained to Izvestia.

There is no doubt that Kiev is trying to use almost the entire arsenal of terrorist methods in order to disrupt the negotiation process, Rodion Miroshnik, the Russian Foreign Ministry's ambassador-at-large for crimes committed by the Kiev regime, told Izvestia.

"This is an absolutely understandable, repetitive strategy,— he clarified. — We see that as soon as the negotiation track is activated, as soon as some approaches to political and diplomatic regulation begin to be implemented, Ukraine begins to look for options for striking. Moreover, they are being inflicted on civilian structures, the number of attacks on peaceful cities is increasing, and terrorist attacks are beginning.

Rodion Miroshnik recalled that at the end of May 2025, on the eve of the second round of negotiations in Istanbul, a series of explosions were organized on the railway in Russia, and when Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump were negotiating in Anchorage, Ukraine actively attacked regional centers.

— Now we see a terrorist attack in Moscow. In addition, compared to January-February, the number of attacks on civilian structures in the Kherson, Belgorod, Kursk and Zaporizhia regions doubled," he said. — What is happening is a practical demonstration of the mood of the Kiev leadership. In words, they are trying to please the Americans, ostensibly demonstrating a desire for peace, but their actions on the ground are fundamentally contrary to what Zelensky says. Kiev is now trying to escalate or provoke Russia. Terrorism is always the use of subversive or military methods with the expectation of a political reaction.

The Kiev regime demonstrates its essence, which is based solely on terrorist activities, says Oleg Karpovich, vice-rector of the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

"It has different manifestations, but it doesn't change anything, because it shows a complete lack of humanity, rationality and reasonableness," he told Izvestia. — This is the calling card of the Zelensky regime. I really want to believe that the United States will remember September 11, 2001 (terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center complex in New York. — Ed.), which will affect their correct assessment of the terrorist nature of the Kiev regime. There are some things that are hard to forget.

The assassination of General Fanil Sarvarov

Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov died on the morning of December 22 on Yaseneva Street in the south of Moscow. The explosive device was attached to the bottom of his personal car and went off when it started moving. The general suffered severe mine-explosion injuries, multiple shrapnel wounds to his lower extremities and fractures. He was trapped in the car. Rescuers managed to get him out of there, but he died in hospital from his injuries.

An eyewitness to the incident told Izvestia that the explosion was very loud, and the entire area could hear it. According to the woman, her sister lives near the scene of the incident, so she immediately went to her.

"A friend called and said, 'What happened?' I say, "I'm going to go find out what happened." And there's a car explosion here," the source said.

Sarvarov served as Head of the Operational Training Department of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. This is one of the key units of the General Staff. It is responsible for developing the fundamentals of the art of operations, plans for the use of Armed Forces, the analysis and implementation of combat experience, as well as the preparation and conduct of exercises.

—General Fanil Sarvarov is a representative of the General Staff, a man who was well versed in matters of operational art," military expert Vasily Dandykin told Izvestia. — Of course, we need to strengthen the protection of such people. A year ago, Igor Kirillov, the head of the radiation, chemical and biological protection forces of the Russian Armed Forces, was killed in a similar terrorist attack. And in April 2025, Yaroslav Moskalik, Deputy Chief of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff, was killed in an explosion.

UK investigators have opened a criminal case under articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation on "murder committed in a generally dangerous manner" and "illegal trafficking of explosives." The ministry clarified that the main version of the murder of General Sarvarov is related to the involvement of the Ukrainian special services.

The video shows serious damage to the car as a result of the explosion. Both the exterior elements of the body and the interior of the cabin were deformed. Many fragments of the car were scattered by the blast wave in the surrounding area.

The incident was immediately reported to President Vladimir Putin, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Sarvarov's last name and personal data have been published on the Ukrainian Peacekeeper website since May 28, 2022. December 22, 2025, was named as the date of its "liquidation."

"One should not be naive and think that if negotiations are underway, if tomorrow we conclude an agreement on the cessation of hostilities, then these explosions will stop," military expert Viktor Litovkin believes. — They will not stop until we root out the Bandera infection from the territory of Ukraine.

Other attempts on generals in Moscow and the Moscow region

Sarvarov's murder is not the first recent attempt on a high—ranking military officer in the capital region. Last week marked one year since the death of the head of the radiation, chemical and biological protection forces, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov. He and his assistant died on the morning of December 17, 2024, as a result of the detonation of an explosive device planted in a scooter at the entrance of an apartment building in Moscow.

In October of this year, the Investigative Committee completed the investigation of the criminal case into Kirillov's murder and sent the materials to the court. According to the agency, the person involved in the case, Robert Safaryan, kept the components of the explosive device at his home, and then handed them over to the perpetrator of the terrorist attack, Akhmadjon Kurbonov. The latter, under the supervision of curators, assembled an explosive device and fixed it on an electric scooter, which he left at Kirillov's house.

Depending on their role in the crime, the defendants in the case are accused of participating in a terrorist community, committing a terrorist act by an organized group, trafficking explosives and explosive devices, and undergoing training in order to carry out terrorist activities.

On April 25, 2025, on Nesterov Boulevard in the Aviatorov microdistrict in Balashikha, the deputy head of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik, was killed in a car explosion. During the investigation, the suspect Ignat Kuzin was detained and taken into custody. Kuzin confessed that he had been recruited by members of the Security Service of Ukraine.