A Russian general died in a car bomb attack on Monday, as investigators stated they suspect Ukrainian intelligence could be responsible for the incident.
The attack targeted Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov—who leads the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces’ General Staff—and he succumbed to his wounds. He marks the third high-ranking Russian military official to lose their life in a bombing this year.
“Investigators are exploring multiple avenues of inquiry into this killing. One such line is that the crime was planned and carried out by Ukrainian intelligence agencies,” stated Svetlana Petrenko, spokesperson for Russia’s Investigative Committee.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that President Putin was immediately notified of Sarvarov’s death.
According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, Sarvarov had prior combat experience in Chechnya and participated in Moscow’s military operations in Syria.
Ukrainian forces have not yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
Before Sarvarov, Russia lost the head of its nuclear, biological, and chemical protection unit—Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov—in a comparable bombing earlier this year. Ukrainian forces claimed responsibility for that incident.
Russian military officer Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik was additionally killed in a car bomb attack in Moscow back in April.
Putin stated in the wake of that attack that he had received reports of the successful “liquidation” of Russian military leaders, though he did not name Moskalik explicitly.
The Monday bombing occurred while Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S. continue to engage in peace negotiations. Russian officials stated on Sunday that they were moving forward “constructively”—even as missiles struck Ukraine’s port city of Odesa.
Putin also noted on Friday that the country’s “troops are advancing” and expressed confidence that Russia would achieve its objectives through military means if Ukraine does not accept its peace conditions.
“The goals of the special military operation will certainly be met. We would prefer to achieve this and resolve the root causes of the conflict via diplomatic channels,” he stated.