FSB and Russian military clash over protecting generals, sources say

Key Points:

• A car bombing in the Moscow suburb of Balashikha on June 9 killed Lt. Gen. Damir Davydov, a senior Russian military official responsible for missile and artillery supplies to forces in Ukraine; this marks the second assassination of a high-ranking Russian officer in the area within a year.
• The killings of Russian generals, including Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik in April 2025 and Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov earlier, are part of a broader pattern of targeted attacks against senior military figures amid Russia's ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
• These assassinations have exposed internal tensions between Russia’s military and the FSB, the domestic security service, with disputes over responsibility for protecting military leaders highlighting a deeper rivalry rooted in historical mistrust between the armed forces and security services.
• Since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, at least 15 Russian generals have been confirmed killed through various means, including missile strikes, drone attacks, and accidents, contributing to morale issues within the Russian military.
• Analysts suggest that the Kremlin’s political structure deliberately limits the military’s power and influence to prevent potential threats to Putin’s regime, with upcoming parliamentary elections potentially intensifying internal pressures on the government’s legitimacy.