Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, the head of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Protection Troops, was killed in Moscow on Tuesday morning in what is considered the most high-profile assassination by Ukraine’s SBU intelligence service. Kirillov, along with his assistant, was killed when a bomb hidden in an electric scooter detonated outside an apartment building on Ryazansky Prospekt. A source from the SBU confirmed the intelligence agency’s involvement in the operation.
Kirillov’s death, which occurred as he stepped out of the building, was captured in unverified video footage circulating on social media. The explosion, which left two bodies covered in black plastic sheets on the snow, has prompted Russian authorities to initiate a criminal investigation and consider the possibility of terrorism charges.
Kirillov, 54, was a prominent figure in Russia’s military and a key player in overseeing the country’s chemical, biological, and nuclear defense capabilities. He had been accused by Ukraine of using chemical weapons against Ukrainian forces. In response to Kirillov’s assassination, Russian officials, including former president Dmitry Medvedev, have warned of imminent retaliation against Ukraine’s military and political leadership.
Kirillov’s role in Russia’s chemical and nuclear defense operations had made him a target for Ukrainian authorities, who have accused him of war crimes, including the use of chemical agents on the battlefield. In fact, the Ukrainian government had recently charged him in absentia for his alleged involvement in chemical weapons attacks. The assassination took place just a day after Ukrainian prosecutors filed these charges.
The attack on Kirillov is part of a series of high-profile targeted killings carried out by Ukraine on Russian soil since the war escalated in 2022. These killings are seen as part of Ukraine’s broader strategy to weaken Russia’s military leadership and respond to alleged Russian war crimes.
