The assassination of a high-ranking Russian general in a bombing outside his residence in Moscow marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, bringing the violence from the battlefront directly into the heart of the capital.
The incident took place on Tuesday morning when Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov was killed by an explosive device that had been planted on an electric scooter near the entrance of his apartment building in southeastern Moscow. The blast also claimed the life of Kirillov’s assistant, Ilya Polikarpov. Reports indicate that the bomb was detonated remotely, as evidenced by footage from a car-mounted camera that captured the scene, including the moment the two men exited the building and the ensuing explosion.
Kirillov, 54, served as the head of Russia’s Radiation, Biological and Chemical Protection Forces, a unit responsible for safeguarding the military against nuclear, chemical, and biological threats. He faced sanctions from various nations like the United Kingdom and Canada due to his involvement in the war in Ukraine. Recently, Ukraine’s Security Service opened a criminal investigation against him, alleging that he oversaw the use of banned chemical weapons during military operations. While Russia has consistently denied deploying chemical weapons, it has accused Ukraine of using such tactics.
Taking office in 2017, Kirillov was among the most prominent figures accusing Ukraine of employing toxic substances and planning to use radioactive materials in attacks. These claims have been dismissed by Kyiv and its allies as unfounded propaganda. His assistant, Polikarpov, was also killed in the blast.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has publicly taken responsibility for the attack. An anonymous official from the agency labeled Kirillov a “war criminal” and emphasized that he was a legitimate target. The SBU shared the footage of the bombing, further affirming their involvement.
In connection with the bombing, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has apprehended a suspect, an Uzbek national born in 1995, identified as Akhmad Kurbanov by Russian news outlets. The FSB reported that Kurbanov claimed he was recruited by Ukrainian intelligence and it was alleged that he was promised a reward of $100,000 along with relocation to an EU country in exchange for carrying out the assassination.
According to authorities, Kurbanov traveled to Moscow and constructed a homemade bomb, which he then placed on the electric scooter parked outside Kirillov’s residence. He monitored the situation from a rented vehicle and operated a camera that streamed live footage to his contacts in Dnipro, Ukraine, detonating the device as Kirillov exited the building. The FSB noted that Kurbanov could face a life sentence if convicted.
Russian media has reported that the FSB tracked Kurbanov using video from surveillance cameras and cellular data during the investigation. However, details regarding his recruitment and his current detention location remain unclear. He was captured in a village within the Moscow region, and there are no clear indications about when he will appear in court, which is expected to occur within days for an initial hearing on his custody status.
Official responses from Russia have characterized the bombing as a “terrorist act.” The Kremlin has pointed fingers at Ukraine for the assassination, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov asserting that the Ukrainian government employs terrorist tactics. While President Vladimir Putin has not offered public commentary on the incident, Peskov noted that he conveyed his condolences regarding Kirillov’s death.
In the wake of the attack, Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, denounced it as a distraction from Ukraine’s military inadequacies and promised that Russia’s military leadership would seek retribution. Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the State Duma, praised Kirillov as a dedicated military official and a patriot who significantly advanced the capabilities of the country’s defense forces.
