Milan, 17 December. (askanews) – General Igor Kirillov, head of the nuclear, chemical and biological defense troops of the Russian Armed Forces (NBC), died in an explosion that occurred today in Moscow. “An explosive device, placed in a scooter parked next to the entrance to a residential building, was detonated on Ryazanskiy Prospekt in Moscow – investigators reported – following the accident, Kirillov and his assistant were killed”, Ilya Polikarpov. The Russian investigation opened immediately after the attack focuses on the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU). Kirillov’s death comes the day after Kiev sentenced him in absentia, holding him responsible for the massive use of chemical weapons (in at least 4,800 cases) against Ukraine – including chloropicrin, a toxic agent highly suffocating. “Kirillov was a war criminal and a completely legitimate target,” a Ukrainian intelligence official told the Financial Times. The Russian general occupied a top role in the Federation’s armed forces. Before his last assignment at NBC, he had held various roles in the Russian army, particularly in units specializing in the processing of hazardous materials. “The Ukrainians will be punished for the general’s death,” assured the president of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev.
