Russia Points Finger at Ukraine for Attacks
Moscow has repeatedly attributed a series of significant assaults on notable Russian individuals to Ukrainian involvement following the onset of the conflict nearly four years ago.
Although Kyiv has occasionally suggested involvement in certain incidents, Ukrainian authorities typically refrain from openly acknowledging responsibility. In numerous instances, they have outright denied any connection.
Recent Incident Under Scrutiny
This Monday, a Russian general perished in a car bomb explosion in Moscow, with investigators exploring potential Ukrainian links to the assault. Ukraine has not issued a statement regarding the demise of Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov.
Notable Cases Cited by Russia
Among the attacks Russia has imputed to Ukraine are several high-profile cases:
Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, who led the military's nuclear, biological, and chemical defense units, was killed in December 2024 alongside his assistant when a bomb on a scooter detonated outside a Moscow apartment building. Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) had charged him in absentia the previous day for "ordering the use of banned chemical weapons against Ukraine’s Defense Forces." The SBU later asserted responsibility for the attack, and an Uzbek national was promptly arrested and accused of acting on behalf of the security service.
Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, a deputy head in the General Staff's main operational department, died in April 2025 after a bomb placed under his car exploded near his residence outside Moscow. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy subsequently mentioned that the country's Foreign Intelligence Service had notified him of the "elimination of senior command personnel of Russia’s armed forces," without elaborating further. A Russian individual with prior residence in Ukraine confessed to executing the attack, stating he was compensated by Ukrainian security services.
Stanislav Rzhitsky, a former submarine commander, was fatally shot in July 2023 while jogging in Krasnodar, Russia. Ukrainian media indicated he was among six submarine commanders capable of launching long-range missiles that struck Vinnytsia, Ukraine, a year earlier, resulting in 23 deaths and over 100 injuries. At the time of his death, Rzhitsky served as deputy head of a military mobilization office in Krasnodar. Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s main intelligence directorate, denied Kyiv's involvement but disclosed specifics about the killing, including the attack time and number of shots fired. A dual Russian-Ukrainian citizen was convicted for the murder in October 2024.
Zakhar Prilepin, a nationalist Russian writer, survived a car bombing in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region in May 2023, though his driver was killed and Prilepin sustained severe injuries. Known for his pro-war stance, he faced EU sanctions. A Ukrainian was found guilty in a Russian court and received a life sentence, with Russia's Investigative Committee alleging he acted under Kyiv's orders. In a March 2024 interview, SBU chief Lt. Gen. Vasyl Maliuk avoided claiming responsibility but offered details such as Prilepin's injuries.
Vladlen Tatarsky, a military blogger, was killed in April 2023 when a bomb exploded in a St. Petersburg cafe where he was speaking. He regularly reported from the front lines on Telegram. Darya Trepova was convicted and sentenced to 27 years after being recorded giving him a statue that detonated; she testified ignorance of the bomb. In the same March 2024 interview, Maliuk also refrained from accepting responsibility for Tatarsky's death, describing the blogger as a Russian propagandist who had "paid a karmic price before the Ukrainian people" and providing bomb details.
Illia Kyva, a Ukrainian lawmaker who fled to Russia post-invasion, was discovered dead near Moscow in December 2023 with a head gunshot wound. Previously a contentious figure in Ukraine, he frequently appeared on pro-Kremlin TV shows. A Ukrainian court had convicted him in absentia of treason a month prior, sentencing him to 14 years. Russia's Investigative Committee accused an Armenian-born businessman of relaying Kyva's movements to the SBU, though no direct charges were filed. Andriy Yusov, a Ukrainian military intelligence spokesman, remarked after Kyva's death that "the same fate will befall other traitors of Ukraine," without specifying perpetrators.
Darya Dugina died in August 2022 when a remote-controlled bomb in her SUV exploded on Moscow's outskirts. Her father, Alexander Dugin, a philosopher and war supporter, was likely the intended target. Ukraine denied responsibility, with Zelenskyy stating Dugina was "not our responsibility" and Kyiv was "not interested in her." Russia's FSB identified two Ukrainian citizens as suspects, noting they had fled abroad.
