The murder of a Russian general in the capital Moscow, which was reported yesterday by the Russian media, is a signal from the Ukrainians to Vladimir Putin, writes the UNIAN agency, citing the German newspaper BILD.
Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, head of the operational training department of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, was killed in Moscow after an explosive device was placed under his car. According to Russian services, Kiev may be behind the car explosion.
The bombing in Moscow bears all the hallmarks of a targeted assassination attempt. The key question remains: who is behind the murder of the high-ranking Russian military officer, writes BILD.
The leading theories include the involvement of Ukrainian intelligence services, which have previously carried out attacks on individual Russians related to the war in Ukraine. Experts note that detonation is the preferred method for such operations, as explosive devices can be activated remotely. Shootings, poisonings or staged traffic accidents require direct contact with the victim and significantly increase the risks for the perpetrators.
At the same time, the question arises as to why Sarvarov was chosen as a target. The Russian army has dozens of lieutenant generals, and Sarvarov himself, according to publicly available information, did not directly command troops in Ukraine. He was responsible for training personnel.
Experts believe that if Ukraine had been involved, the assassination attempt would have had a much broader purpose than eliminating a specific officer. Kiev's signal is clear: we will catch you.
In addition to the targeted assassination of an officer who was responsible at the highest level for the training of highly qualified military personnel, this is destabilization among the Kremlin elite, a disintegration of Russian society and a signal that the Russians will gain nothing by trying to establish relations only with the Americans.
This attack comes at a time when the war in Ukraine continues - despite Washington's diplomatic efforts. On the front line, Russian troops are advancing very slowly on Ukrainian territory, contrary to the Kremlin's statements. The attack on Sarvarov shows that the battlefield is also expanding onto Russian territory. Since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Moscow has regularly accused Kiev of carrying out targeted attacks on prominent figures and military personnel, writes Le Monde.