High-ranking general in the Russian armed forces, Lt Gen Igor Kirillov, and his assistant have been killed in Moscow by Ukraine’s security service.
Kirillov, head of the Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Defence Forces (NBC), was outside a residential block early on Tuesday when a device hidden in a scooter was remotely detonated, according to Russia’s Investigative Committee.
A source in Ukraine’s SBU security service claimed Kirillov was “a legitimate target,” alleging he had committed war crimes. On Monday, the SBU charged Kirillov, 54, in absentia, stating on Telegram that he was “responsible for the mass use of banned chemical weapons.” The Ukrainian government has not yet commented on the general’s death.
Pictures from the scene in south-eastern Moscow showed the badly damaged entrance to a building, with scorch marks on the walls and several windows blown out. Two body bags were visible on the street. The area was cordoned off on Tuesday morning as Russian investigators continued to comb the scene.
