Russia’s security service has detained a suspect in the bombing that killed senior Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, who was outside his Moscow apartment building. The bomb, hidden on an electric scooter, was detonated when Kirillov left the building. Ukraine’s security service claimed responsibility for the attack and accused Kirillov of directing the use of banned chemical weapons.
The suspect, identified as Akhmad Kurbanov from Uzbekistan, allegedly received $100,000 and promised resettlement in a European Union country to carry out the killing. He was recruited by Ukrainian intelligence agencies, according to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB). The suspect could face a life sentence if convicted.
Kirillov, 54, was the chief of Russia’s Radiation, Biological and Chemical Protection Forces, tasked with protecting the military from chemical or biological attacks. He was under sanctions from several countries for his actions in Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. An SBU official described Kirillov as a “war criminal” and an entirely legitimate target.
Russian officials have vowed to punish Ukraine over the attack, describing it as terrorism and claiming Kyiv “does not shy away from terrorist methods.” The incident brings the war in Ukraine once again to the streets of Moscow, highlighting tensions between the two countries.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-general-killed-suspected-arrested-32e504b029d8db0b8d52474d75efc383