Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, head of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Protection Forces, was killed by a bomb hidden inside an electric scooter near central Moscow.
The explosion occurred approximately four miles from the Kremlin as Kirillov exited an apartment building on Ryazansky Prospekt. The bomb was remotely detonated, according to Russian state news agency Tass, which cited anonymous emergency service sources.
Kirillov’s death came just 24 hours after Ukrainian authorities accused him of overseeing the use of banned chemical weapons against Ukrainian forces.
Bomb blast also claimed the life of a second man identified only as Ilya P. Photos shared on Russian Telegram channels depicted the aftermath: a shattered building entrance strewn with debris and blood-stained snow where the bodies lay.
The UK imposed sanctions on Kirillov in October for deploying riot control agents and toxic choking agents like chloropicrin on the battlefield. The sanctions described him as a “significant mouthpiece for Kremlin disinformation.”
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) reported over 4,800 incidents of chemical weapon use by Russian forces since February 2022, specifically mentioning K-1 combat grenades. The SBU accused Kirillov of war crimes, citing his role in ordering the use of prohibited munitions in eastern and southern Ukraine.
The Russian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case into the bombing and is actively searching for suspects. No group, including Ukraine, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Kirillov was notorious for propagating conspiracy theories, often accusing the West and Ukraine of deploying chemical and biological weapons. In March 2022, he alleged that American biolabs in Ukraine were developing biological weapons using bats and birds.
He also claimed, without evidence, that Ukraine was preparing chemical provocations, including the use of a “dirty bomb.” In August 2023, he suggested that shipments of toxic chemicals alongside protective gear indicated plans to deploy the psychotropic chemical agent BZ.
His sudden death marks a significant development amid escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine, highlighting the increasing prevalence of targeted attacks within Russia’s borders.
