Russia arrests Uzbek national in killing of senior general

Dec 18, 2024

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Karah Rucker Anchor

By Karah Rucker (Anchor), William Jackson (Producer), Kaleb Gillespie (Video Editor)

Russian authorities arrested an Uzbek national accused of assassinating the head of Russia’s chemical, radiological and biological weapons unit. Officials didn’t name the 28-year-old suspect but alleged Ukrainian intelligence recruited him to carry out the attack.

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The suspect reportedly used a homemade bomb hidden on an electric scooter to target Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov outside his Moscow apartment.

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The explosion killed Kirillov and his assistant.

Ukraine claims responsibility for attack

Authorities claimed the suspect installed a camera to livestream the scene and detonated the bomb remotely as Kirillov exited the building.

Russia alleged the suspect admitted Ukraine promised him $100,000 and relocation to a European Union country in exchange for the assassination.

Authorities detained the suspect near Moscow.

Ukraine’s SBU intelligence service claimed responsibility for the attack, describing Kirillov as a legitimate target.

Ukrainian officials accused him of directing the use of banned chemical weapons during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — allegations Moscow denied.

The SBU released footage it claimed shows the moments before the bombing.

Series of targeted assassinations

Kirillov’s death is part of a series of targeted assassinations against Russian military figures linked to the war in Ukraine.

Last month, Ukrainian forces claimed responsibility for the deaths of a Russian naval captain and a former prison chief in separate bombings.

The U.K. and other countries sanctioned Kirillov for his alleged role in deploying chemical agents and spreading disinformation. Russian officials defended him, describing Kirillov as a patriot who worked against Western actions.

Russia’s Investigative Committee treated the killing as an act of terrorism. The Kremlin accused Ukraine of using terrorist methods, while Ukrainian officials argued military figures like Kirillov were legitimate targets due to their involvement in the conflict.

Tags: Russia, Russia-Ukraine War, Russian Defense Ministry, Ukraine, Ukraine Defense Ministry, Ukrainian Security Service

[karah rucker]

RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES ARRESTED A MAN ACCUSED OF ASSASSINATING THE HEAD OF RUSSIA’S CHEMICAL, RADIOLOGICAL, AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS UNIT. OFFICIALS IDENTIFIED THE SUSPECT AS A 28-YEAR-OLD UZBEK NATIONAL AND ALLEGE HE WAS RECRUITED BY UKRAINIAN INTELLIGENCE TO CARRY OUT THE ATTACK. HOWEVER, RUSSIA’S SECURITY SERVICE HAS NOT RELEASED HIS NAME.

THE SUSPECT REPORTEDLY USED A HOMEMADE BOMB HIDDEN ON AN ELECTRIC SCOOTER TO TARGET lieutenant GENERAL IGOR KIRILLOV, OUTSIDE HIS MOSCOW APARTMENT. THE EXPLOSION KILLED KIRILLOV AND HIS ASSISTANT. AUTHORITIES SAY THE SUSPECT INSTALLED A CAMERA TO LIVESTREAM THE SCENE AND DETONATED THE BOMB REMOTELY AS KIRILLOV EXITED THE BUILDING.

OFFICIALS ALLEGE THE SUSPECT ADMITTED HE WAS PROMISED $100,000 AND RELOCATION TO A EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRY IN EXCHANGE FOR THE ASSASSINATION. HE WAS DETAINED NEAR MOSCOW.

SOURCES WITHIN UKRAINE’S SECURITY SERVICE – OR SBU – CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE KILLING AND DESCRIBED KIRILLOV AS A LEGITIMATE TARGET. UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS HAVE ACCUSED HIM OF DIRECTING THE USE OF BANNED CHEMICAL WEAPONS IN RUSSIA’S INVASION OF UKRAINE, ALLEGATIONS MOSCOW DENIES. SBU OFFICIALS ALSO RELEASED FOOTAGE THEY CLAIM SHOWS THE MOMENTS BEFORE THE BOMBING.

KIRILLOV’S DEATH IS PART OF A SERIES OF TARGETED ASSASSINATIONS AGAINST RUSSIAN MILITARY FIGURES LINKED TO THE CONFLICT IN UKRAINE. LAST MONTH, UKRAINIAN FORCES CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DEATHS OF A RUSSIAN NAVAL CAPTAIN AND A FORMER PRISON CHIEF IN SEPARATE BOMBINGS.

KIRILLOV WAS UNDER SANCTIONS FROM THE U.K. AND OTHER COUNTRIES FOR HIS ALLEGED ROLE IN DEPLOYING CHEMICAL AGENTS AND SPREADING DISINFORMATION. RUSSIAN OFFICIALS DEFENDED KIRILLOV, DESCRIBING HIM AS A PATRIOT WHO WORKED AGAINST WESTERN ACTIONS.

RUSSIA’S INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE IS TREATING THE KILLING AS AN ACT OF TERRORISM. KREMLIN OFFICIALS ACCUSE UKRAINE OF EMPLOYING TERRORIST METHODS, WHILE UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS ARGUE THAT MILITARY FIGURES LIKE KIRILLOV ARE LAWFUL TARGETS DUE TO THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN THE CONFLICT.

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