Russia detains Uzbek national over General’s assassination in Moscow
On Wednesday, December 18, Russia’s security services detained a 29-year-old man from Uzbekistan in connection with the assassination of Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, the head of the Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Protection Forces.
Kirillov, 54, was killed alongside his assistant in Moscow on Tuesday. The two men died when an explosive device hidden in an electric scooter detonated remotely outside Kirillov’s apartment block in southeastern Moscow. The explosion caused significant damage to the building.
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) announced that the detained suspect was allegedly recruited by Ukrainian intelligence. In a video released by the FSB, the man, appearing disheveled and handcuffed, claimed he was offered $100,000 and the opportunity to move to the European Union in exchange for carrying out the assassination.
The FSB says the suspect traveled to Moscow on Ukraine’s orders, obtained a homemade explosive device, and used a rented car with a dashboard camera to monitor Kirillov’s movements. The live video feed was reportedly sent to handlers in Dnipro, Ukraine. After confirming Kirillov’s departure from the building, the suspect detonated the bomb remotely.
A source from Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) said Kirillov was considered a “legitimate target” due to his alleged involvement in war crimes and the use of banned chemical weapons. Just one day before the assassination, Ukraine charged Kirillov in absentia, citing his role in the mass use of chemical weapons.
Kirillov had previously been sanctioned by the UK for his alleged role in chemical weapon use in Ukraine, but Moscow denies the allegations, asserting it destroyed its chemical weapons stockpile in 2017.
Images from the scene showed heavy damage to the building’s entrance, with scorch marks and shattered windows. Two body bags were visible outside.
Kirillov’s assassination is believed to be the highest-ranking military official killed in Russia since the beginning of the country’s invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago.
Russian officials have condemned the attack and vowed to hold those responsible accountable. The Russian Foreign Ministry plans to address the assassination at the United Nations Security Council meeting on Friday.
