Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, the head of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defense Forces, was killed in an explosion in Moscow on Tuesday. The blast, caused by a device planted at an apartment block, also claimed the life of Kirillov’s assistant. The explosive device was detonated in a scooter parked outside a residential building, leading to an ongoing investigation at the scene.
Kirillov had recently been sentenced by a Ukrainian court in absentia for the use of banned chemical weapons during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In October, Britain had sanctioned Kirillov and the nuclear protection forces for their use of riot control agents and chemical choking agents on the battlefield. The British government called Kirillov a significant mouthpiece for Kremlin disinformation.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova defended Kirillov’s record, stating that he had fearlessly exposed the crimes of the Anglo-Saxons for many years and worked for the truth and the Motherland. The investigation into the explosion is ongoing, and more updates are expected.
The tragic incident involving the death of Lt. Gen. Kirillov sheds light on the complex and dangerous nature of chemical warfare and the geopolitical tensions surrounding Russia’s military actions.
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