A bomb attack killed two people, including a senior Russian army officer, this Tuesday morning in Moscow. The authorities have opened an investigation, accusations are already flying…
Ryazansky Avenue in Moscow was the scene of a macabre scene this Tuesday morning. A violent explosion rocked a residential building, blowing out windows and severely damaging the entrance. But the most shocking remains the victims of this apparent targeted attack: the commander of the Russian radionuclear, chemical and biological defense forces, General Igor Kirillov, and his deputy, both killed instantly.
Highest-ranking Russian officer killed since Ukraine war began
Igor Kirillov, targeted by British sanctions last October for an alleged deployment of chemical weapons in Ukraine, is the most senior Russian military official to lose his life in Moscow since the launch of the offensive against Ukraine in February 2022. His assassination therefore has a strong symbolic significance.
According to the first elements of the investigation opened by the Russian Investigative Committee, the explosive device would have been hidden on a scooter parked near the entrance to the building. Investigators are now working to reconstruct the sequence of events and identify those responsible for this act, which they describe as an “unprecedented crime”.
A general at the heart of information warfare
If General Kirillov was not the highest ranking officer involved in the “special operation” in Ukraine, he was nevertheless a leading media figure. It was he who accused Washington, during press briefings, of operating biological weapons laboratories in Ukraine, allegations firmly denied by the Americans.
An unprecedented crime has been committed in Moscow.Kommersant, Russian daily newspaper
The spokesperson for Russian diplomacy, Maria Zakharova, praised the memory of a “intrepid” general, who never hid behind the backs of others” while fighting “for the Fatherland and for the truth”. For his part, the vice-president of the Federation Council promised that “the murderers will be punished. Without doubt and without pity.”
Attack the day after key meeting on Ukraine
This assassination occurs the day after an important meeting at the Ministry of Defense in the presence of Vladimir Putin. The Russian president gave a positive assessment of the year 2024 in Ukraine, welcoming the progress of his troops and having regained “the initiative on the entire front”.
Some sources raise the possibility that the attack was initially aimed at this meeting with Putin, before being postponed until the next day for reasons still unknown. The symbolism of such an attack, in the heart of Moscow and targeting a senior military official, remains no less strong.
Ukraine singled out, a complex investigation in perspective
If no claims have been made at this stage, certain Russian media such as Kommersant do not hesitate to point the finger at the Ukrainian special services, due to the involvement of General Kirillov in the information war surrounding the conflict.
But the investigation promises to be arduous and potentially long to unravel the threads of this audacious attack. Beyond the identification and questioning of the perpetrators, it is the question of sponsors which risks being the most thorny, in a context of war where falsehoods and disinformation rage on both sides.
In any case, this targeted assassination marks a new stage in the shadow war between Russians and Ukrainians. Until now confined to the Ukrainian theater of operations, this confrontation today seems to be moving directly to the heart of Russian power, illustrating the growing porosity between front and rear in this extraordinary conflict.
If no claims have been made at this stage, certain Russian media such as Kommersant do not hesitate to point the finger at the Ukrainian special services, due to the involvement of General Kirillov in the information war surrounding the conflict.
But the investigation promises to be arduous and potentially long to unravel the threads of this audacious attack. Beyond the identification and questioning of the perpetrators, it is the question of sponsors which risks being the most thorny, in a context of war where falsehoods and disinformation rage on both sides.
In any case, this targeted assassination marks a new stage in the shadow war between Russians and Ukrainians. Until now confined to the Ukrainian theater of operations, this confrontation today seems to be moving directly to the heart of Russian power, illustrating the growing porosity between front and rear in this extraordinary conflict.
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