Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, head of Russia’s Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Defense Troops, was killed in an explosion outside his apartment building on Ryazansky Prospekt in Moscow on Tuesday. The blast, caused by an improvised explosive device attached to an electric scooter, also killed Kirillov’s aide, Ilya Polikarpov.
❗️ Unique video of the moment Lieutenant General Kirillov was blown up in Moscow.
The footage shows General Kirillov and his assistant exiting the building, with the famous scooter standing nearby. As soon as they find themselves in the area of the explosive device, the… pic.twitter.com/IWWknLTJwO
— ★V141NG★🏴☠️ 𝕏 (@inexorable_swe) December 17, 2024
The explosion, captured on a dashboard camera and widely shared on Russian Telegram channels, occurred as Kirillov and Polikarpov exited the building. Investigators revealed that the bomb contained an explosive force equivalent to 300 grams of TNT and was detonated remotely. The blast shattered windows and scorched the building’s facade.
(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 in absentia 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.” Russian officials, including Dmitry Medvedev, have blamed Ukraine for the attack and promised retaliation.
Since Russia’s invasion, several high-profile individuals have been targeted and killed in attacks believed to have been carried out by Ukraine. Just last December 9, Sergei Yevsyukov, the former head of the infamous Olenivka Prison in Donetsk, was killed when his car exploded. His wife was severely injured in the blast.
Ukrainian authorities had charged Yevsyukov in 2023 with premeditated murder and mistreatment of prisoners of war. In July 2024, additional charges were brought against him for failing to provide medical care to detained Ukrainian soldiers.
