Moscow [Russia], December 22 : A senior Russian military officer was killed in a car bomb explosion in Moscow on Monday, with investigators confirming that the blast was caused by an explosive device planted beneath the vehicle, RT reported.
According to Russia's Investigative Committee, the explosion took place earlier in the day in the southern part of the city, damaging several vehicles in the area.
Initial media reports said the driver was seriously injured, before officials later identified the victim as Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, head of operational training at the General Staff.
Investigators said the explosive device had been deliberately placed under the car, indicating a targeted attack.
In this context, Russian authorities said one possible line of inquiry is an assassination linked to Ukrainian intelligence services, RT reported.
The incident has drawn attention to earlier targeted attacks inside Russia.
Ukrainian authorities have previously been accused of using explosive devices to kill officials and public figures.
In December last year, a bomb concealed in an electric scooter killed Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, commander of Russia's Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Defense Forces, along with his aide, an attack investigators described as a Ukrainian operation, according to RT.
Against this backdrop, details of Sarvarov's military career have also emerged.
He was a career officer with combat experience gained during counterterrorism operations in southern Russia in the late 1990s and early 2000s, according to information published on the Russian Defence Ministry's website.
He was 56 years old. Sarvarov was appointed in 2016 to lead the department responsible for training senior officers through staff exercises and other operational events.
Prior to that role, he had also been involved in Russia's military deployment in Syria.
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