From scooters to car bombs: how Russia's generals are being eliminated

A series of brazen assassination attempts highlights the vulnerability of Russia's top military leadership. Rear-area sabotage has become a serious challenge for the country's security services. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the geography of general losses has extended beyond the front lines. Meduza counted at least three commanders killed. Among the victims are Igor Kirillov, Yaroslav Moskalik, and Fanil Sarvarov. Vladimir Alekseev survived. The latest attempt on Alexander Chaiko occurred on August 1 in Moscow.

A series of brazen assassination attempts highlights the vulnerability of Russia's top military leadership. Rear-area sabotage has become a serious challenge for the country's security services. Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army, the geography of losses among the high command of the Russian Armed Forces has extended far beyond the front lines. The elimination of generals increasingly occurs in the Russian rear, turning Moscow and the Moscow region into a high-danger zone for senior military officers. Meduza counted that at least three Russian commanders have died as a result of a series of high-profile sabotage operations. Another general survived an armed attack, and the latest attempt targeted the newly appointed commander of the Aerospace Forces. The first confirmed victim was Igor Kirillov, head of the Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Defense Troops. He was eliminated in December 2024 as he left his home on Ryazansky Prospekt in the capital. The bomb was attached to an ordinary electric scooter, and his assistant Ilya Polikarpov died with him. During the trial, the perpetrator claimed he was recruited by Ukrainian intelligence and received a life sentence. A few months later, in April 2025, a similar fate befell Yaroslav Moskalik, deputy chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff. An explosive device detonated in a car in the courtyard of a residential building in Balashikha, near Moscow, as the general approached the vehicle. The investigation accused Ignat Kuzin of organizing the attack, calling him an agent of Ukrainian intelligence, and sentenced him to life imprisonment. In December of that year, the geography of attacks expanded: a car belonging to Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the General Staff, was blown up in a parking lot. The explosion occurred after the commander got behind the wheel and drove a few meters. Despite a criminal case opened by the Investigative Committee, no information about arrests in this episode has been released. In February 2026, the wave of assassination attempts reached the leadership of the Main Intelligence Directorate. In Moscow, an armed attack was carried out on Vladimir Alekseev, first deputy chief of the GRU. The general, who survived the shooting, is known as one of the key organizers of the so-called volunteer formations involved in combat operations against Ukraine. In spring 2026, reports emerged of an attempt on Major General Azatbek Omurbekov, who commanded the infamous 64th Motor Rifle Brigade in 2022. According to VChK-OGPU, an explosive device detonated in a mailbox on the territory of a military garrison in Khabarovsk Krai, killing the commander of a training communications battalion. The latest in this series was the attempt on Colonel General Alexander Chaiko, who took command of the Aerospace Forces in May 2026. According to sources, a powerful explosion occurred on August 1 in central Moscow near the Balzi Rossi restaurant. It is believed the commander was celebrating a double occasion—his birthday and recent appointment. Official agencies and federal television channels chose to remain silent about the incident, leaving the information to be discussed in Telegram channels.