Russia Detains Suspect in Assassination of Head of Army’s Chemical Weapons Division

Background

The blast outside the apartment building was caused by an explosive device attached to a scooter going off. (EPA IImages pic)

MOSCOW: Russia has detained a suspect in the killing of the head of the army’s chemical weapons division, investigators said today, a day after the general and his aide were killed by a blast in Moscow.

Suspect Arrested

A national of Uzbekistan, born in 1995, was arrested on suspicion of having committed the attack that cost the life of the commander of Russian radiological, chemical and biological defence forces, Igor Kirillov, and his assistant, Ilya Polikarpov, the investigative committee said in a statement.

The man said he had been “recruited by Ukrainian special forces”, it added.

Circumstances of the Attack

Kirillov and his assistant were killed yesterday as they walked out of a Moscow apartment building early in the morning, after an explosive device attached to a scooter went off.

The statement said that the suspect told interrogators that he had come to Moscow to carry out the attack and that a camera mounted on the dashboard of a rented car parked outside the building had filmed the attack and streamed it “live to the attack organisers, in the (Ukrainian) city of Dnipro”.

The man was promised US$100,000 to carry out the attack, as well as the possibility to settle “in a European country”, the statement said.

Consequences

Kirillov was the most senior military figure assassinated in Russia since Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine nearly three years ago.

The blast went off in a residential area in southeast Moscow a day after President Vladimir Putin hailed Russian troop successes in Ukraine.

Kirillov, 54, was the head of the Russian army’s chemical, biological and radiological weapons unit and was recently sanctioned by Britain over the alleged use of chemical weapons in Ukraine.

Ukraine’s Denial

A source in Ukraine’s SBU security service told AFP yesterday that it was behind the early morning explosion in what it called a “special operation”, calling Kirillov a “war criminal”.

Conclusion

The assassination of Igor Kirillov, the head of Russia’s chemical weapons division, is a significant development in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The Russian government has detained a suspect in the attack, who claims to have been recruited by Ukrainian special forces. The incident highlights the escalating tensions between the two countries and the risks of violence and assassination.

FAQs

Q: Who was Igor Kirillov?
A: Igor Kirillov was the head of Russia’s chemical, biological and radiological weapons unit.

Q: What was the circumstances of his assassination?
A: Kirillov and his assistant were killed by an explosive device attached to a scooter outside a Moscow apartment building.

Q: Who is suspected of carrying out the attack?
A: A national of Uzbekistan, born in 1995, has been arrested on suspicion of having committed the attack.

Q: What is the motive behind the attack?
A: The suspect claims to have been recruited by Ukrainian special forces and was promised US$100,000 to carry out the attack.