A Ukrainian security source has claimed that Ukraine was behind the death of Lt Gen in Moscow, according to Reuters and AFP.
The senior Russian general who headed the country's Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Defence Forces was killed in a scooter bomb blast Tuesday morning. The incident took place as Kirillov and his assistant, who also dies in the attack, left an apartment building in southeast Moscow.
Kirillov was a war criminal and an absolutely legitimate target, as he gave orders to use banned chemical substances against the Ukrainian military," a source told CNN. "Such an inglorious end awaits all those who kill Ukrainians. Retribution for war crimes is inevitable."
According to several reports, the device was remotely triggered and could have contained around 300g of TNT equivalent. Images from the scene shared on social media show severe damage to the building's entrance, with scorch marks, broken windows, and debris on the floor.
The attack took place just a day after Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) charged Kirillov in absentia for using banned chemical weapons in the country. Meanwhile, Western nations had already imposed sanctions on Kirillov, with the UK accusing him of being responsible for the deployment of "barbaric weapons."
On Tuesday, Russia's investigative committee labelled the killing of Kirillov a "terrorist act."
"The incident has been classified as a terrorist act, murder, illegal trafficking of weapons, and ammunition," spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko said.
Who was Igor Kirillov?
Igor Kirillov was a senior Russian general, appointed in 2017 to lead Russia's Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Defence Forces. He previously served in various military roles related to hazardous materials and the Directorate of the Chief of the Radiation, Chemical and Biological Defence Troops. Kirillov was sentenced in absentia by Ukraine's SBU for his alleged use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine.
