Russia’s security services have detained a 29-year-old man from Uzbekistan in connection with the assassination of Lt Gen Igor Kirillov, head of the Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection Forces.
Kirillov, 54, was assassinated alongside his assistant in Moscow.
He was killed early Tuesday when an explosive device hidden in an electric scooter detonated remotely outside his apartment block in southeastern Moscow. The explosion caused significant damage to the building and resulted in the deaths of both Kirillov and his assistant.
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) stated on Wednesday that the unnamed suspect was recruited by Ukrainian intelligence.
In a video released by the FSB, the suspect, wearing handcuffs and appearing disheveled, claimed he was offered $100,000 and permission to move to the European Union in exchange for carrying out the assassination.
The FSB alleges that the suspect traveled to Moscow on Ukraine’s orders, obtained a homemade explosive device, and used a rented car equipped with a dashboard camera to surveil Kirillov’s residence.
The live video feed was reportedly streamed to handlers in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. Upon receiving confirmation that Kirillov had exited the building, the suspect detonated the device remotely.
A source from Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) told the newsmen that Kirillov was considered a “legitimate target,” accusing him of war crimes and the use of banned chemical weapons.
On Monday, a day before the assassination, Ukraine had charged Kirillov in absentia, citing his alleged involvement in the mass use of chemical weapons.
Kirillov had previously been sanctioned by the United Kingdom for his purported role in chemical weapons use in Ukraine. However, Moscow denies these allegations, stating it destroyed the last of its chemical weapons stockpile in 2017.
Images from the scene showed extensive damage to the entrance of the apartment building, with scorch marks on the walls and shattered windows. Two body bags were visible on the street.
Kirillov is believed to be the highest-ranking military official assassinated inside Russia since the start of its invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago.
Russian officials have condemned the attack and vowed to hold those responsible accountable. The Russian Foreign Ministry announced plans to address Kirillov’s assassination at the United Nations Security Council meeting on Friday.
