High-Ranking Russian General Killed in Bombing; Moscow Accuses Ukraine of Involvement
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Moscow, Dec 17 (NationPress) The head of Russia’s Radiological, Chemical, and Biological Defence Forces, Lt General Igor Kirillov, lost his life in a bomb explosion in southeastern Moscow early Tuesday morning. Top Russian officials are holding Ukraine responsible for this act, according to various reports.
In response to this incident, Russian authorities expressed their outrage, asserting that Kirillov had consistently revealed the West's 'crimes' in Ukraine and beyond.
The explosion took place around 6 a.m. outside a residential structure on Ryazansky Avenue as Kirillov and his aide were preparing to enter an official vehicle, as reported by RT.
According to Russian investigators, an improvised explosive device (IED) containing TNT was likely affixed to an electric scooter near the entrance of the building and was probably detonated remotely using a radio signal or mobile phone.
The blast resulted in shattered windows, damage to the building’s entrance, and destruction of the vehicle.
A criminal investigation has been initiated, focusing on charges of murder, terrorism, and illegal arms trafficking, with Investigative Committee chief Aleksandr Bastrykin personally overseeing the inquiry.
Investigators suspect that Ukrainian special services orchestrated the attack, as reported by the daily Kommersant, referencing Kirillov’s military briefings where he accused Kiev and the U.S. of operating bio-laboratories and employing chemical weapons.
Local media outlets suggest that the assassination was executed under orders from Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), which had labeled Kirillov as an 'absolutely legitimate target'.
Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated that Lt Gen Kirillov had 'systematically and fearlessly exposed' Western crimes involving chemical weapons over many years.
Throughout his career, he had consistently highlighted the misdeeds of the 'Anglo-Americans', including 'NATO provocations with chemical weapons in Syria', Britain’s manipulation of banned chemical substances, and the troubling activities of American biolabs in Ukraine, among other issues.
Former President Dmitry Medvedev, who currently holds the position of Deputy Chairman of the National Security Council, referred to the attack as Ukraine's 'last agony'.
He remarked, 'With its final strength, it is striving to justify its worthless existence before its Western masters, prolonging the war and death, and attempting to rationalize the dire situation at the front.' He accused Ukraine of carrying out cowardly and despicable strikes in peaceful cities, recognizing the inevitability of its military defeat.
Andrey Kartapolov, Chairman of the State Duma Defence Committee, described Kirillov as a 'worthy Russian general' and a 'true officer', stating he had done much to hold the U.S. accountable, particularly regarding Washington’s establishment of laboratories globally, including in Ukraine.
He expressed that Kirillov’s revelations had 'caught too many people' and that he 'wouldn’t be surprised' if individuals outside of Kiev were also implicated in the assassination.
Kartapolov emphasized that those accountable for Kirillov’s murder will be identified and punished, 'whoever they are and wherever they may be.'
Vyacheslav Volodin, Speaker of the State Duma, also condemned the murder of Kirillov, asserting that it further underscores 'the criminal nature of the Kiev regime.'
