Two Police Officers Killed in Moscow Explosion Near Site of Senior General’s Death

Moscow: Two police officers and a third person were killed in an explosion in Moscow early on Wednesday, Russia’s top criminal investigation agency said, as authorities probe possible links to the recent killing of a senior Russian military officer.

The blast occurred at around 1.30 am local time near the location where Lt Gen Fanil Sarvarov was killed on Monday, officials said. Russian television footage showed the area cordoned off, with a heavy police presence at the scene.

Svetlana Petrenko, spokesperson for Russia’s Investigative Committee, said investigators are examining several possible motives behind the attack, including the theory that it was orchestrated by Ukrainian intelligence services.

According to his official biography on the Russian defence ministry’s website, Gen Sarvarov served in army operations in the North Caucasus, including Chechnya, during the 1990s. He later played a role in overseeing Russian military operations in Syria in 2015 and 2016.

Russia has repeatedly accused Ukraine of being behind a series of high-profile attacks targeting senior Russian figures since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion nearly four years ago. Ukrainian officials have not commented on the latest incident.

Analysts note that Ukraine, facing a larger and better-equipped Russian military, has sought to influence the conflict through unexpected and high-impact actions. In August last year, Ukrainian forces carried out a surprise incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, briefly diverting Russian military resources and boosting Ukrainian morale before Russian troops pushed them back.

At the same time, Western officials have accused Russia of conducting covert operations beyond the battlefield, alleging dozens of acts of disruption and sabotage across Europe aimed at undermining support for Ukraine, claims Moscow has consistently denied.