Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) announced Wednesday that it had detained an Uzbek citizen in connection with the bombing that killed Russian Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov and his assistant, Ilya Polikarpov, in Moscow.
State news agencies identified the suspect as Akhmad Kurbanov, a 28-year-old Uzbek national. The FSB claims Kurbanov was recruited by Ukraine’s SBU to carry out the attack.
The bombing occurred on Tuesday outside Kirillov’s apartment building in southeastern Moscow. An explosive device hidden on an electric scooter detonated as Kirillov exited his residence.
(3/8) The IED was planted on an electric scooter positioned at the entrance of a residential building in southeast Moscow. pic.twitter.com/UZ0V2qk0Ft
— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) December 17, 2024
Kirillov, 54, had been under sanctions by the U.K. and Canada for his alleged role in deploying chemical weapons in Ukraine. The attack against him came a day after Ukraine’s Security Service charged him with war crimes, accusing him of overseeing the use of banned chemical agents on the battlefield.
While Ukraine has not officially confirmed involvement, an unnamed Ukrainian official claimed responsibility for the attack, calling Kirillov a “war criminal and a legitimate target.”
