MOSCOW, December 22. /TASS/. The head of the Operational Training Directorate at the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, was killed in an explosion in southern Moscow on Monday morning, Russian Investigative Committee Spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko told TASS.

"According to an investigation, on the morning of December 22, an explosive device planted under a car was activated on Yasenevaya Street in Moscow. Fanil Sarvarov, head of the General Staff’s Operational Training Directorate, has died of injuries from the explosion," Petrenko said.

According to her, Moscow’s Main Investigative Directorate has opened a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 105 of the Russian Criminal Code (murder committed in a socially dangerous manner) and Article 222.1 (illegal trafficking of explosives).

She also noted that investigators are pursuing several theories regarding the murder. "One of them is that the crime was organized by the Ukrainian security agencies," Petrenko stated.

Fanil Sarvarov was born on March 11, 1969, in Gremyachinsk in Russia’s Perm Region. He held all major command positions during his military career.

In 2015-2016, he carried out tasks related to the planning and execution of military operations in Syria. In 2016, he was appointed head of the General Staff’s Operational Training Directorate.

Sarvarov was awarded the Order of Courage, the Suvorov Medal, and the Order of Merit to the Fatherland, first and second class.