December 17, (THEWILL) – Chief of Russia’s Radioactive, Chemical and Biological Defence Forces (RKhBZ), Lieut. Gen. Igor Kirillov, has been killed in a Moscow blast on Tuesday.
RKhBZ are special forces that operate under conditions of radioactive, chemical and biological contamination and are tasked with protecting ground forces operating in extreme conditions.
Lieut. Gen. Kirillov was killed outside an apartment building on Ryazansky Prospekt along with his assistant, Russia’s Investigative Committee, which probes serious crimes, said in a statement.
Married with two sons, Kirillov was killed by a bomb hidden in an electric scooter, investigators said. The bomb was triggered remotely, Russian state news agency Tass reported, citing unnamed sources in the emergency services.
A source in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), told news agencies that the “liquidation” of Kirillov was a “special operation” in retaliation for the general’s alleged use of chemical weapons against Ukrainian troops.
“Kirillov was a war criminal and an absolutely legitimate target, as he gave orders to use banned chemical weapons against the Ukrainian military”, said the source, who also confirmed that Kirillov was killed when “a scooter with explosives” detonated as he entered a building on Ryazansky Avenue in Moscow.
“Such an inglorious end awaits all those who kill Ukrainians. Retribution for war crimes is inevitable”, the SBU source added.
Meanwhile, Russia has vowed Kyiv would face imminent revenge for the killing, according to the Russian state-owned news service RIA.
Russia has accused Ukraine of carrying out a string of targeted assassinations on its soil since the start of Moscow’s full-scale war on Ukraine in February 2022.
The most high-profile cases include the 2022 killing of Darya Dugina, the daughter of Russian nationalist ideologue Alexander Dugin, in a car bomb attack, the murder of pro-war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky in a 2023 cafe bombing, and the shooting last year of a Russian submarine commander accused of war crimes by Kyiv.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
