Russia has identified the victim as Igor Kirillov, a high-ranking general overseeing nuclear and chemical weapons protection forces. An official with Ukraine’s security service shared a video with The New York Times that appears to show General Kirillov’s assassination on a snowy Moscow street. The incident occurred at around 6:12 a.m. when an explosion near the building door, matched by Russian investigators’ description, is believed to have been the blast source.
The explosion had a force of over two pounds of TNT and damaged nearby windows up to the third floor. Photographs show the scooter propped against the wall with its handlebars missing. Experts say an explosion of this size could be caused by around one pound of deadly high-explosive materials detonated remotely.
An expert from the University of Illinois, Prof. Nick G. Glumac, noted that General Kirillov had time to walk away from the blast zone before suffering fatal damage. However, he warned that additional seconds would have increased his chances of survival. The video provides clues about the positioning of the explosives, which could be placed in the scooter’s handlebars for maximum lethality.
The authenticity of the video was verified by The New York Times, and it matches details from the location and time of General Kirillov’s killing. Ukraine’s security service claims responsibility for the assassination, but Russia has not officially commented on their involvement.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/17/world/europe/russian-general-assassination-igor-kirillov-video.html