Chemical defense chief Igor Kirillov was murdered in Moscow along with his aide
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) was behind the assassination of Russian General Igor Kirillov, multiple media outlets reported on Tuesday, citing anonymous sources in the agency.
Kirillov, the commander of the Russian Radiological, Chemical, and Biological Defense Forces, was killed by an explosion, along with his aide, in southeastern Moscow early on Tuesday. The murder took place hours after the general was accused by Kiev of being linked to the use of chemical agents on the battlefield, a claim Moscow denies outright.
Investigators suspect that the bomb was hidden inside an electric scooter handle bar and was triggered remotely, Russian media reported.
Reuters, the BBC, and Ukrainian media outlets have cited what appears to be the same statement by an SBU source describing the 54-year-old Russian officer as “a war criminal and an absolutely legitimate target” for assassination.
Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chair of the Russian Security Council, has called the murder of Kirillov a sign of “agony” of the Ukrainian government, “which uses its remaining strength to justify its worthless existence to Western masters, prolong war and death, and explain away the catastrophic situation on the front line.”
The leaders in Kiev cannot terrorize the Russian people and will be held accountable for their crimes, Medvedev added.
The general took the helm of the Russian military branch in 2017. He was involved in investigating alleged Ukrainian use of chemical weapons against Russian troops, and provided regular reports about American labs in Ukraine which he claimed were involved in biological warfare research.
Kiev operates an extensive assassination program, targeting people it considers enemies of Ukraine, according to media reports and statements by former officials.
Moscow says Kiev is resorting to terrorist tactics due to its military failures. Russian investigators have accused the Ukrainian government of killing journalist Darya Dugina, military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky, and other civilians.