A prominent Russian general accused by Ukraine of orchestrating the use of chemical weapons against Ukrainian forces has been killed in Moscow by Ukraine’s SBU intelligence agency, marking a significant assassination.
Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, the head of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Protection Troops, was murdered outside an apartment building alongside his aide when a bomb concealed within an electric scooter detonated, as reported by Russia’s Investigative Committee, which investigates serious crimes.
A source from the SBU confirmed to Reuters that the assassination was carried out by the Ukrainian intelligence service.
“The elimination of the chief of the radiation and chemical protection troops of the Russian Federation is the work of the SBU,” stated the source.
Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov was sanctioned by the UK earlier this year.
At 54, Lt Gen Kirillov is the highest-ranking Russian military official to be assassinated in Russia by Ukraine, and his death is expected to prompt Russian authorities to reassess security measures for senior military officials while seeking retribution for the killing.
Former President Dmitry Medvedev, currently a senior security official in Russia, was quoted by the state RIA news agency, indicating that Ukraine’s military and political leadership should brace for retaliation for the murder.
Moscow accuses Ukraine of a series of high-profile killings on its territory, intended to undermine morale and punish those whom Kyiv deems responsible for war crimes.
Ukraine, which asserts that Russia’s invasion poses a fundamental threat to its sovereignty, regards such targeted assassinations as a legitimate strategy.
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Photographs and video from the scene by Reuters displayed a damaged entrance to an apartment building, with bomb-charred bricks and doors swinging off their hinges, along with what appeared to be two bodies nearby.
Investigators have opened a criminal case regarding the murders of the two servicemen. Sources within law enforcement have indicated that a terrorism case is likely to follow.
Kirillov dedicated his work “fearlessly for the motherland.”
Russia denies Ukrainian claims of its use of chemical weapons in conflict, and Lt Gen Kirillov, who had a wife and two sons, was frequently seen on state television briefings, accusing Ukraine of breaching nuclear safety protocols and the West of various alleged transgressions.
Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, honored Lt Gen Kirillov, asserting that he worked “fearlessly” for “the Motherland,” revealing what she claimed to be crimes related to chemical weapons by the West and alleged cover-ups in Syria and elsewhere.
In October, the UK imposed sanctions on Lt Gen Kirillov and his nuclear defense forces for deploying riot control agents and for multiple reports of the use of the toxic choking agent chloropicrin on the battlefield.
Such agents, according to Ukraine, are utilized to disorient its troops, leaving them vulnerable to Russian attacks.
Lt Gen Kirillov was assassinated a day after Ukrainian state prosecutors had reportedly charged him in absentia for the alleged use of prohibited chemical weapons, according to the Kyiv Independent citing the SBU.
He was also listed in a massive unofficial Ukrainian database cataloging individuals considered enemies of the state, known as Myrotvorets (Peacemaker). A photograph of Lt Gen Kirillov on the website was updated this morning with the word “Liquidated” inscribed in red letters.
Russia asserts that Ukraine has executed a series of targeted assassinations on its territory since the escalation of Moscow’s war against Ukraine in February 2022.
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The most notable cases encompass the 2022 assassination of Darya Dugina, the daughter of Russian nationalist ideologue Alexander Dugin, via a car bomb, the killing of pro-war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky in a cafe bombing in 2023, and the shooting of a Russian submarine commander last year, accused of war crimes by Kyiv.
Russia’s nuclear, chemical, and biological defense troops, known as RKhBZ, which Lt Gen Kirillov led, are special forces trained to operate in environments contaminated by radioactive, chemical, or biological agents and responsible for safeguarding ground forces under extreme conditions.
‘Several hundred’ North Korean casualties in Russia’s Kursk – US official
In related news, North Korean forces have reportedly sustained “several hundred” casualties while clashing with Ukrainian troops in Russia’s Kursk region, a senior US military official indicated.
North Korea has deployed thousands of troops to support Russia’s military efforts, particularly in the Kursk border area, where Ukrainian forces reclaimed territory earlier this year.
“Our latest estimate is that several hundred casualties have been experienced by the DPRK,” the official stated, speaking on the condition of anonymity, using the abbreviation for North Korea’s official designation.
This count includes everything from light injuries to being KIA (killed in action), the official clarified, noting that soldiers of “all ranks” comprise the casualties.
“These troops are not battle-hardened. They haven’t engaged in combat previously,” the official added, suggesting that this lack of experience may contribute to their casualties at the hands of Ukrainian forces.
The official’s remarks regarding casualties come following comments from Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrsky, stating that Russia has deployed North Korean troops in the midst of an “intensive offensive” in Kursk over recent days.
The military collaboration between North Korea and Russia has intensified since the onset of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
A significant defense agreement between North Korea and Russia, signed in June, entered into force earlier this month.
Experts assert that the nuclear-capable North’s leader, Kim Jong Un, is keen to obtain advanced military technology from Russia and battlefield experience for his troops.
