Moscow: Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, head of Russia’s military radiological, chemical, and biological defence unit, was killed in a blast early Tuesday after an explosive device planted inside a scooter detonated outside a residential building in Moscow.
Russia’s Investigative Committee confirmed the incident, stating that, “An explosive device planted in a scooter parked near the entrance of a residential building was activated on the morning of December 17 on Ryazansky Avenue in Moscow.” The explosion also killed Kirillov’s assistant, shattered windows, and severely damaged the building’s entrance.
Kirillov, who had led Russia’s chemical, biological, and radiological defence forces (RKhBZ) since 2017, was a key figure in the country’s special operations under contamination conditions. His death comes amid escalating scrutiny over Russia’s alleged use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine.
The incident occurred just one day after Ukrainian prosecutors charged Kirillov with the deployment of prohibited chemical agents in Ukraine. In October, the UK government imposed sanctions on Kirillov and his unit for their alleged involvement in deploying chloropicrin—an oily, choking agent banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
Chloropicrin, widely used as a tear gas during World War I, is explicitly prohibited by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
The explosion occurred amid Russia’s recent military advances in eastern Ukraine, marking its most significant territorial gains since the early weeks of the 2022 invasion.
The exact perpetrators of the attack remain unknown, but the incident underscores the mounting pressures and risks facing Russia’s military leadership amid ongoing allegations of war crimes and a protracted war with Ukraine.
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