The 54-year-old Kirillov was the commander of the Russian troops to defend against attacks with radioactive, biological and chemical weapons. It was said that Kirillov’s assistant was also killed in the explosion in the southeast of the capital. There is still no information about the perpetrator or perpetrators. A criminal case has been initiated, the Russian state news agency TASS reported, citing the national investigative committee.
Reports: Ukrainian secret service responsible
Russian media reported that the explosive device hidden in the scooter was detonated remotely. Cell phone connections in the district are now also being examined, it said. Russia’s chief investigator Alexander Bastrykin took over the case, Russian media said.
At the same time, the Reuters news agency and other – including Ukrainian – media quoted an unnamed source from the Ukrainian secret service SBU, according to which the lieutenant general had been deliberately killed. Reuters said the agency could not verify the information. Kiev considers Kirillov a war criminal and an “absolutely legitimate target,” the source was quoted as saying.
AP
Photos from the crime scene were published by Russian media, showing the entrance to the building on Ryazansky Prospect, a large street leading to the center. The crime scene is almost seven kilometers from the Kremlin. According to the information, the entrance area of the house was severely damaged and the windows of several apartments were broken. According to TASS, investigators and forensic experts are currently examining the crime scene.
Charged with using chemical weapons in Ukraine
Only on Monday, Kirillov was charged in absentia by the Ukrainian secret service SBU for using banned chemical weapons in Ukraine, the online newspaper Kyiv Independent reported. According to the SBU, at least 4,800 uses of chemical weapons by Russia have been recorded in Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion.
More than 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers were wounded or killed by chemical weapons, the online newspaper said, citing army information. Russia denies using chemical weapons. Britain described Kirillov as “a major mouthpiece for Kremlin disinformation, spreading lies to cover up Russia’s shameful and dangerous behavior.” He was placed on the British sanctions list in October.
Repeats unsubstantiated allegations against Kyiv
Kirillov was appointed head of NBC defense in 2017. The lieutenant general served in the Russian military in various roles related to hazardous materials. During the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, Kirillov repeatedly made public allegations that the USA was operating secret biolaboratories in Ukraine.
Kirillov also claimed that Ukraine was working on a dirty bomb. Dirty bombs are weapons of mass destruction with conventional explosive devices mixed with radioactive material. Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin had also made such allegations against Ukraine based on Kirillov’s publicly presented reports. There was no evidence of this.
In Russia there had already been attacks on high-ranking military officials and propagandists in the past as part of the war of aggression against Ukraine. The power apparatus in Moscow repeatedly blamed Ukrainian secret services for this.
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