Whether the car bomb is perfidious depends entirely on the method used to get the bomb to the general. Perfidy (Treachery) is strictly prohibited under Article 37 of the Geneva Conventions’ Additional Protocol I. Perfidy is defined as acts that invite the confidence of an adversary to make them believe they are entitled to, or are obliged to accord, protection under the rules of IHL, with the intent to betray that confidence.
Feigning surrender, feigning injury, feigning civilian status, or using the protective emblems of the Red Cross/Crescent to launch an attack. This is a war crime because it undermines the protections meant to safeguard vulnerable persons (like surrendering soldiers, the wounded, civilians) and erodes the minimal trust needed for IHL to function.
Ukrainian forces have been accused of carrying out assassinations of top Russian generals, including using methods like car bombs and remote-detonated explosives. For instance, Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov was killed in December 2024 by a bomb hidden in an electric scooter Zelensky claims he has been assassinating Russians under the claim that they are responsible for war crimes. These operations are part of Ukraine’s strategy to weaken Russian military leadership and morale. However, these are outright war crimes.
If the bomber poses as a civilian driver, uses a civilian car with white flags, or in any way feigns a non-combatant or protected status to approach the general, this is perfidy. The act betrays the confidence the general would have that civilians are not directly participating in hostilities. This is a war crime.