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In a bold and high-profile operation, Ukraine's SBU intelligence service assassinated Russian Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, the head of Russia's Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Protection Troops, on Tuesday morning in Moscow. Kirillov, who was accused by Ukraine of using chemical weapons against Ukrainian troops, was killed along with his assistant when a bomb hidden in an electric scooter exploded as they approached an apartment building in Moscow. The Ukrainian intelligence agency confirmed its involvement in the attack, which marks one of the most significant targeted killings of a Russian military official on Russian soil.
The head of the Russian military's RKhBZ troops Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov and his assistant were both killed in an explosion in Moscow as they left an apartment building. The explosive may have been planted on a scooter parked near the entrance.https://t.co/mCdZUc4leA… pic.twitter.com/0MNHfjGe8g
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) December 17, 2024
The explosion occurred outside a building on Ryazansky Prospekt, with photos from the scene showing blackened bricks and the bodies of the two men covered in plastic sheets on the snow. The Russian Investigative Committee launched a probe into the murder, with terrorism charges likely to be filed. Russian authorities, including former president Dmitry Medvedev, have vowed to take revenge for the killing, signaling that the targeted attacks by Ukraine will escalate.
Kirillov, 54, had been a prominent figure in Russia’s military, known for defending Russia’s chemical weapons program. He had been accused by Ukraine of using chemical agents like chloropicrin, a toxic choking agent, to disable Ukrainian forces. The UK imposed sanctions on him for his involvement in these activities. Just a day before his assassination, Ukrainian prosecutors had charged him in absentia for alleged chemical weapons use. Kirillov had also appeared on Ukraine's "Myrotvorets" database, which tracks individuals seen as enemies of the state.
Photo by Sergei Chirikov/EPA-EFE
This killing comes amid a series of targeted assassinations carried out by Ukraine within Russia, with high-profile attacks such as the 2022 bombing that killed Russian nationalist Darya Dugina and the 2023 cafe bombing that killed pro-war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky. Ukraine considers such actions legitimate as part of its strategy to weaken Russia’s military leadership and punish those accused of war crimes.
As the war continues, these targeted killings highlight the deepening conflict and Ukraine’s resolve to strike at key figures in Russia's military apparatus.
With info from Reuters
