Timing of Russian general's assassination appears significant
Ukraine has been trying to convince the US it's still full of fight - and taking out Russian generals in their own backyard is one way of doing that.
Monday 22 December 2025 17:51, UK
A Russian general being blown up on his own doorstep isn't a good look for Moscow, and it seems it's becoming increasingly common.
The latest high-profile figure to be assassinated since Russia's invasion of Ukraine is Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov.
He was killed by a car bomb that detonated outside a residential complex, little more than 10 miles from the Kremlin.
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He was a senior figure. Head of the operational training directorate of the general staff, Sarvarov prepared forces for future deployment, having previously served in Chechnya and Syria.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility but Moscow believes Kyiv may have been behind it. No wonder - they've carried out similar attacks many times before.
This time last year, Ukraine took credit for the assassination of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, who Kyiv alleged had ordered chemical weapons to be used against its troops on the battlefield.
He was killed by a bomb hidden in a scooter outside his apartment block, which Vladimir Putin referred to as a "major blunder" by the security services.
But the attacks didn't stop there.
In April, Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik was killed after a car exploded in a town just outside Moscow. And two months ago another car bomb in Siberia killed a Russian commander accused of committing war crimes.
It's unclear why Sarvarov was targeted - perhaps simply because his rank and apparent vulnerability.
The timing appears significant. It follows the latest peace talks between US and Russian officials in Miami over the weekend, where Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev met with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
In the past, Ukraine has used these kinds of attacks to embarrass Moscow and to bring the war closer to home for Russians.
This time could be Kyiv's way of undermining Moscow's narrative in the negotiations.
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The Kremlin has been trying to persuade the White House that a Russian victory is inevitable, and that it's futile to support Ukraine, in the hope of securing a more preferential settlement.
Ukraine has been trying to convince the Trump administration of the opposite - that it's still full of fight - and taking out Russian generals in their own backyard is one way of doing that.
It shows Washington that the Kremlin is clearly not in total control.