Bomb explosion kills head of Russian nuclear covering forces in Moscow
Igor Kirillov, the commanding general of Russia’s nuclear defense forces, was killed Tuesday in a bomb explosion in Moscow.
An agent of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), speaking to Al Jazeera, claimed responsibility for the attack.
Here’s what you should know:
In the early hours of Tuesday, Kirillov was killed with a bomb hidden in an electric scooter outside a construction site on Ryazansky Prospekt, the Russian Investigative Committee reported in a statement. The site of the attack is located 7 kilometers southeast of the Kremlin. .
The explosive device “had a capacity of some 300 grams in TNT equivalent”, Russia’s TASS news agency reported, quoting a law enforcement official.
Russian media reported that the bomb was detonated remotely.
Images from the scene: a scooter with the handlebars torn off and injured in the front along the exterior walls of the building.
Kirillov’s assistant was also killed.
“Two body bags could be seen on the street,” said Al Jazeera’s Yulia Shapovalova, reporting near the site of the blast. “Judging by the shattered windows, the blast wave reached at least the fourth floor, with about 10 apartments reportedly damaged.”
Kirillov, at the time of his death, was head of the radiological, chemical and biological defense troops since April 2017.
Special forces in the Russian military, they operate under conditions of radioactive, chemical and biological contamination.
Kirillov was married with two sons.
The Russian general is under sanctions from several countries, including the United Kingdom and Canada, for his role in the Ukraine war.
“Igor Kirillov, the head of the radiation, chemical and biological protection forces of the armed forces of the Russian Federation, and his assistant were killed,” said the Russian investigative committee.
The Russian Investigative Committee announced that a case had been opened.
Svetlana Petrenko, a spokesperson for the committee, said in a statement that Moscow considered the bombing a “terrorist” attack.
Maria Zakharova, foreign ministry spokeswoman, paid tribute to Kirillov. She said he worked “fearlessly” for “the motherland” to uncover the West’s chemical weapons-related crimes and other crimes.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said: “Aware of the inevitability of the defeat of its army, [Ukraine] is launching cowardly and despicable measures against non-violent cities. »
SBU sources have claimed responsibility for the killing with several news media outlets, but Ukraine has not officially commented.
A Ukrainian law enforcement official told Politico on condition of anonymity.
“Kirillov is a war thief and an absolutely valid target since he ordered the use of banned chemical weapons against the Ukrainian army. Such a shameful end awaits all those who kill Ukrainians. Retaliation for war crimes is inevitable,” the unnamed official told Politico.
On Monday, the SBU accused Kirillov of using banned chemical weapons during the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine that began in February 2022.
In a statement on Monday, the SBU said Russian forces had used more than 4,800 other types of banned chemical munitions against Ukraine, including K-1 live grenades.
Russia has accused Ukraine of orchestrating a string of high-profile wartime assassinations.
Ukraine usually denies a role in attacks within Russia or Crimea, but its officials often celebrate them in posts on social media.
In November, senior Russian naval officer Valery Trankovsky was killed in a car bombing in Crimea. In this case, a source in Ukraine’s security services told the French news agency AFP that Ukraine was behind the assault.
In August 2022, Darya Dugina, daughter of Russian ultranationalist Alexander Dugin, was killed in a car bomb attack. Ukraine has denied any involvement in the murder.
In April 2023, Russian pro-war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky was killed in a bomb attack at a cafe in St. Petersburg. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility, but blames internal conflicts.
In July 2023, submarine commander Stanislav Rzhitsky, who was accused of war crimes by Ukraine, was shot dead in a Krasnodar park. Again, Kyiv denied a role.