Report: General Killed by Remotely Detonated Bomb

A high-ranking officer in Russia’s military forces and his secretary were killed in an explosion in Moscow. Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, head of the NBC forces, was carrying out his routine activities in a residential area on Tuesday morning when a concealed explosive device, hidden in a scooter, was detonated remotely, according to Russia’s Investigative Committee.

Russian security sources informed state news agency Tass that the explosive was triggered from a distance. Kirillov had recently been charged in absentia by Ukraine’s SBU security service, which accused him of being responsible for the widespread use of banned chemical weapons. However, the Ukrainian government has made no official statement regarding his death.

Images from the scene showed extensive damage to the building's entrance, with scorched walls, shattered windows, and two body bags visible on the street. In October, the UK sanctioned Kirillov, accusing him of coordinating the use of chemical weapons in Ukraine and amplifying Russian propaganda. Ukraine’s SBU alleged that Russia used chemical weapons over 4,800 times under his command, claims Moscow has consistently denied.

Russia’s Investigative Committee has launched a criminal case into the murder, with investigators and forensic teams working at the site. Reports indicate that the explosive device had a blast force equivalent to 300 grams of TNT. Bomb specialists and search dogs thoroughly scanned the area, finding no additional threats.

Both Kirillov and a bank operating under UK sanctions faced asset freezes and travel bans. In May, the U.S. accused Russia of using chemical weapons as a warfare method in Ukraine, a practice prohibited under international law.

Government representatives have disclosed that Russia used the choking agent chloropicrin as part of its strategy to secure "battlefield victories" against Ukraine. According to a memo from Ukraine’s SBU security service, Russian forces have utilized drones to deploy pulsed chemical weapons, targeting Ukrainian soldiers.

Ukrainian Colonel Artem Vlasiuk previously reported that over 2,000 Ukrainian service members have been hospitalized due to exposure to chemical agents during the conflict, with three fatalities recorded. The Kremlin dismissed these allegations as baseless and without merit.

Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, who was killed in the recent Moscow explosion, had a long career in Russia’s military, specializing in managing hazardous materials. He held various roles, including within the Directorate of the Chief of the Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Defence Troops. Kirillov was appointed head of the NBC forces in December 2017.

His death comes less than a week after Mikhail Shatsky, a prominent Russian weapons expert, was fatally shot near his home in Moscow. Ukrainian media reported that Shatsky’s assassination was carried out by Ukrainian military intelligence, further intensifying the ongoing conflict and allegations between the two nations.