Ukraine’s SBU intelligence service carried out the most high-profile murder of its kind Tuesday morning when it killed a senior Russian general in Moscow who Ukraine claims was responsible for using chemical weapons against Ukrainian troops.
According to Russia’s Investigative Committee, which investigates serious crimes, an electric scooter bomb exploded outside an apartment building, killing Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, the head of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Protection Troops, and his assistant.
An SBU source confirmed to Reuters that the Ukrainian intelligence agency orchestrated the hit. “The liquidation of the chief of the radiation and chemical protection troops of the Russian Federation is the work of the SBU,” stated a source.
As Kirillov and his assistant left a building on Ryazansky Prospekt in Moscow, the source claimed that a scooter carrying explosives exploded, killing them both.
A large explosion occurred as the two men remained on the pavement after leaving the building to board a car, according to unverified video footage of the attack that went viral on social media. Reuters did not independently verify the footage.
As the most senior Russian military officer to be killed inside Russia by Ukraine, Kirillov, 54, is expected to force Russian authorities to reevaluate security measures for the army’s highest-ranking officers.
Dmitry Medvedev, a former president and current top Russian security official, declared during a state television broadcast that Moscow would exact revenge for what he described as a terrorist attack.
“Law enforcement agencies must find the killers in Russia,” Medvedev declared. “We must do everything in our power to eliminate the murderers’ masterminds in Kyiv. Who are these masterminds? We know. According to him, they are Ukraine’s political and military leadership.
Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry, denied to Russian news agencies a statement from the US State Department that Washington was unaware of the murder or was involved with it.
She claimed that the United States “created, sponsored, and gave money and weapons to the Kyiv regime indefinitely.” It is obvious that Washington has never denounced any planned killings or acts of terrorism by the Kyiv government.
President Vladimir Putin did not respond immediately.
Moscow blames Ukraine for a series of high-profile killings that occurred on its territory, aiming to depress morale and punish those Kyiv believes committed war crimes. Ukraine has stated that it views such targeted killings as a valid tactic and claims that Russia’s war against it poses an existential threat to the Ukrainian state.
Two bodies appeared to be lying beneath black plastic sheets on the snow, and Reuters footage and photos from the scene showed a broken entrance to an apartment building with bomb-blackened bricks and doors hanging off their hinges.
KIRILLOV WORKED FOR THE MOTHERLAND “FEARLESSLY.”
On state television, Kirillov, a married father of two sons, occasionally gave briefings at the Defense Ministry, accusing the West of various alleged crimes and Ukraine of violating nuclear safety regulations. Russia refutes Ukrainian claims that it uses chemical weapons on the battlefield.
The use of riot control agents and numerous reports of the toxic choking agent chloropicrin on the battlefield led to Britain imposing sanctions on Kirillov and his nuclear defense forces in October.
Ukraine has claimed that Russia uses these agents to confuse its troops, preventing them from defending themselves against Russian attacks.
Regional Russian Governor Sergei Sitnikov claimed that Kirillov was a friend of his and had informed him of a threat against him.
Sitnikov said in a statement, “He told me some time ago that he had already received a warning that the hunt for him had begun.” He said he thought Kyiv wanted to kill Kirillov for a number of reasons, including his involvement in the creation and application of a heavy flamethrower system.
The SBU, according to the Kyiv Independent, killed Kirillov one day after accusing him in absentia of using banned chemical weapons.
Myrotvorets, a vast unofficial Ukrainian database of individuals considered the nation’s enemies, also included the lieutenant general (Peacemaker). On Tuesday morning, the word “Liquidated” appeared in red letters over a picture of Kirillov on the website.
Russia claims that since Moscow launched its full-scale war on Ukraine in February 2022, Ukraine has carried out a number of targeted killings.
The most well-known cases are the 2022 murder of Darya Dugina, daughter of Russian nationalist ideologue Alexander Dugin; the 2023 cafe bombing that killed pro-war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky; and the shooting of a Russian submarine commander last year who Kyiv accused of war crimes.
Kirillov was in charge of Russia’s special forces, known as the radioactive, chemical, and biological defense troops, whose mission was to protect ground forces operating in challenging environments. These troops operate in environments contaminated by radioactive, chemical, and biological agents.In the most high-profile murder of its kind, Ukraine’s SBU intelligence service killed a senior Russian general in Moscow Tuesday morning who Ukraine claims was responsible for using chemical weapons against Ukrainian troops.
Russia’s Investigative Committee, which looks into serious crimes, said that Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, the head of the country’s Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Protection Troops, and his assistant were killed outside an apartment building when a bomb concealed in an electric scooter detonated.
The Ukrainian intelligence agency carried out the hit, an SBU source told Reuters. “The liquidation of the chief of the radiation and chemical protection troops of the Russian Federation is the work of the SBU,” said a source.
The source claims that as Kirillov and his assistant were leaving a building on Ryazansky Prospekt in Moscow, a scooter carrying explosives exploded, killing them.
Social media users shared unverified video footage of the attack, which showed two men leaving the building to board a car and then a huge explosion while they were still on the sidewalk. Reuters was unable to independently confirm the video.
The 54-year-old Kirillov is the most senior Russian military officer to be killed inside Russia by Ukraine, and his killing is probably going to force Russian authorities to reevaluate security measures for the army’s highest-ranking officers.
At a meeting broadcast on state television, former president Dmitry Medvedev, who is currently a top Russian security official, declared that Moscow would exact revenge for what he described as a terrorist act.
“Law enforcement agencies must find the killers in Russia,” Medvedev stated. We must make every effort to eliminate the masterminds of the murders in Kyiv. These masterminds are known to us. They are Ukraine’s political and military leadership,” he declared.
Speaking to Russian news outlets, Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the foreign ministry, rejected a statement from the US State Department claiming that Washington was unaware of the murder or had any involvement in it.
She claimed that the US “founded the Kyiv regime, supports it, gives it funding, and continuously sends weapons.” The evidence is obvious: Washington has never denounced a single act of terrorism or premeditated killing carried out by the Kyiv government.
President Vladimir Putin did not immediately respond.
Moscow blames Ukraine for a series of high-profile killings that took place on its territory in an effort to demoralize and punish those Kyiv believes committed war crimes. Ukraine has made it clear that it views such targeted killings as a valid tactic, claiming that Russia’s war against it poses an existential threat to the Ukrainian state.
Reuters photographed a broken apartment building entrance with bomb-blackened bricks, doors hanging off their hinges, and what appeared to be two bodies lying beneath black plastic sheets on the snow.
