what we know about the Uzbek suspect arrested by Moscow

INTERNATIONAL – The investigation is progressing (very) quickly. Following the death of Russian general Igor Kirillov, killed in a bomb attack claimed by Ukraine, Moscow announced this Wednesday, December 18, that it had arrested a man suspected of being involved in the assassination of the soldier in the capital. .

Profile, recruitment, investigation… Here is what we know about the arrest of this man, who was allegedly approached by the Ukrainian special services to target the highest-ranking Russian military official killed since the start of the war in Ukraine, there is almost three years old.

· A national of Uzbekistan

The man arrested by the Russian Investigative Committee for the assassination of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov and his assistant Ilya Polikarpov is a “ national of Uzbekistan, born in 1995 ». At this time, no further personal information about his identity has been released.

On the other hand, we know that it is “suspected of having committed a terrorist act” and risk of “penalties up to life imprisonment” pour “murder”, “attack” et “arms trafficking”said the FSB in a press release.

The day before this arrest, the assassination was claimed in kyiv by a source within the Ukrainian security services (SBU). And on Monday, the day before the murder, Ukraine indicted Igor Kirillov in absentia for his “war crimes”judging him “responsible for the massive use of banned chemical weapons”, by his title of commander of the Russian radiological, chemical and biological defense forces.

· Confession

The arrest of this young thirty-year-old, however, allows us to learn more about the way in which he was led to take action, under the leadership of kyiv, according to the Russian version. Because once arrested, this Uzbek would have revealed everything.

During interrogation, the suspect claimed to have been “recruited by the Ukrainian special services”explains the press release from the Investigative Committee. “The agents of the Ukrainian special services, involved in the organization of the attack, will be found and duly punished”for its part assured the FSB.

At their request, he arrived in Moscow and was given an explosive device which he placed on an electric scooter parked near the building where General Kirillov resided. He would also have rented a car, which was also parked near the building and where a surveillance camera was installed, explain the investigators, who affirm that the filmed images were retransmitted “in real time to the organizers of the attack, towards the city of Dnipro”in Ukraine. Thus, as soon as the general and his assistant left the building, the explosive device was activated remotely by the suspect, the press release states.

For this attack, the perpetrator was promised “remuneration of 100,000 US dollars” and a possibility of moving away “in one of the European countries”it is also specified.

· Meeting at the UN

If General Kirillov had received sanctions from London in October for the alleged deployment of chemical weapons in Ukraine, Russia intends to directly address the question of his death at the United Nations table on Friday December 20 during the next Council of security.

As stated in the Guardianthe Russian Foreign Ministry plans to raise the issue with other member countries while Vladimir Putin has not spoken on the subject.

On the other hand, Russian diplomacy constantly accuses the West of being “accomplices” of Ukraine in this act. This Wednesday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov also accused Ukraine of “terrorism” after the assassination of the Russian general. “It is obvious who is behind this act of terrorism. This demonstrates once again that the kyiv regime does not shy away from terrorist methods. »

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