Russia Detains Uzbek Man Over General Kirillov’s Moscow Killing
Russian authorities have detained a 29-year-old Uzbek man in connection with the assassination of Lt Gen Igor Kirillov, the head of Russia’s Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Protection Forces. The killing occurred outside a residential block in Moscow early Tuesday when an explosive device hidden in an electric scooter was detonated remotely.
The Incident: Assassination in Moscow
The Federal Security Service (FSB) said the unnamed suspect was recruited by Ukrainian intelligence, according to Russian state media. Ukraine’s security service had already claimed responsibility, with a source telling the BBC that Kirillov, 54, was a “legitimate target” due to alleged war crimes and the mass use of banned chemical weapons.
Footage from the scene showed a heavily damaged apartment entrance, with scorch marks on walls and shattered windows. Two body bags were visible in the aftermath.
Suspect’s Alleged Role and FSB Claims
The FSB alleges the suspect was promised $100,000 and European Union residency for carrying out the attack. According to the agency:
- The suspect received a homemade explosive device upon arrival in Moscow.
- He planted the bomb in an electric scooter outside Kirillov’s apartment.
- He rented a car with a dashboard camera to monitor Kirillov’s residence, livestreaming the video to handlers in Dnipro, Ukraine.
- Upon seeing Kirillov leave the building, the suspect detonated the bomb remotely.
The suspect was detained in the Moscow region’s Balashikha village and is now being interrogated, officials said.
Kirillov: A Controversial Figure
Lt Gen Kirillov, sanctioned by the UK for alleged use of chemical weapons, was one of Russia’s most prominent military figures. The Ukrainian SBU has accused Russia of using chemical weapons more than 4,800 times under Kirillov’s leadership, allegations Moscow denies.
Russia claims its chemical weapons stockpile was fully dismantled in 2017.
International Reactions and Escalation
The Russian Foreign Ministry announced plans to raise the assassination at the United Nations Security Council on Friday. President Vladimir Putin expressed condolences over Kirillov’s death, while Russian officials vowed to punish those responsible.
The incident marks the highest-profile assassination of a military figure inside Russia since the beginning of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago.
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