The chief of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Defense Forces, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, was murdered in a bombing in Moscow on December 17, 2024. Early in the morning, outside a residence on Ryazansky Prospekt, some 7 kilometers southeast of the Kremlin, there was an explosion. As Kirillov and his assistant left the premises, an explosive device hidden inside an electric scooter exploded, killing both and severely damaging the surrounding neighborhood.
According to reports, the bomb was remotely detonated and possessed an explosive capacity of roughly 300 grams of TNT. Pictures taken at the scene revealed a great deal of damage, including broken windows in apartments up to the fourth storey.
The explosion also claimed the life of Kirillov’s assistant. Witnesses reported seeing two body
The attack was claimed by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), who presented it as a retaliation for Kirillov’s suspected use of chemical weapons during Russian military operations in Ukraine. He was condemned in absentia by a Ukrainian court for employing prohibited chemical weapons just one day before to his death. The bombing has been labeled a terrorist act by the Russian Investigative Committee, which is also looking into the incident criminally.
Since April 2017, Kirillov, now 54, had been in charge of Russia’s chemical and biological defense forces. He was responsible for managing activities in hazardous agent-contaminated locations. Because of his suspected activities in Ukraine, he was subject to sanctions from several nations, including the UK and Canada. His passing is one of the worst assassinations in Russia since the start of its invasion of Ukraine almost three years ago, which raises questions about Moscow’s security and possible reprisals from Russian officials.
In light of the ongoing conflict, Kirillov’s assassination is viewed as a daring move by Ukraine and might have a big impact on Russian military operations and morale. Given that Russian authorities have pledged to get revenge for his passing, this occurrence may further exacerbate tensions between the
