Russian General Killed in Moscow Explosion, Suspect Detained

A senior Russian general, Igor Kirillov, was killed in a remote-controlled explosion outside his Moscow residence on Tuesday. Kirillov, the head of Russia’s Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Protection Forces, was targeted by an explosive device hidden in a scooter. The blast also killed his assistant and caused significant damage to the building’s entrance. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has detained a 29-year-old man from Uzbekistan, who is alleged to have been recruited by Ukrainian intelligence to carry out the attack.

The FSB claims that the suspect was offered $100,000 and the promise of EU relocation in exchange for killing Kirillov, whom Ukraine had recently charged in absentia for his alleged role in war crimes involving chemical weapons. According to the FSB, the suspect placed the bomb on an electric scooter near Kirillov’s apartment and detonated it remotely after confirming his target’s presence. Ukrainian authorities have confirmed their involvement, calling Kirillov a “legitimate target” due to his alleged war crimes.

In response to the killing, the Russian Foreign Ministry has vowed to hold those responsible accountable and announced that they will raise the incident at the United Nations Security Council. Kirillov, who had been sanctioned by the UK over chemical weapons use, is seen as the most senior Russian military official assassinated on Russian soil since the start of the Ukraine war. Moscow denies the use of chemical weapons, stating that its stockpile was destroyed in 2017.

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