Russia arrests suspect in assassination of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov

Russian investigators said on December 18 that a suspect involved in the assassination of General Igor Kirillov, head of Russia's chemical, biological and radiological defense forces, has been arrested.

The incident happened early on December 17 when Mr. Kirillov, 54, and his assistant Ilya Polikarpov were killed in an explosion outside the building where they lived in Moscow.

According to initial investigation, the suspect is an Uzbek citizen born in 1995.

The report said the man had been recruited by Ukrainian intelligence and traveled to Moscow to carry out the attack. The suspect received a homemade explosive device, which he then placed on an electric scooter near General Kirillov's residence.

To monitor the area, the suspect rented a car equipped with a camera, transmitting live images to the organizers in Dnepr, Ukraine.

Upon receiving a visual signal showing the victims leaving the building, the explosive device was remotely detonated. Investigations revealed that the suspect was promised a reward of $100,000 and the opportunity to emigrate to a European country upon completion of the mission.

The explosion occurred at around 6 a.m. on December 17 as Mr. Kirillov and his assistant were leaving the building. Mr. Kirillov is the commander of the Russian military force responsible for protecting soldiers and civilians from chemical, biological, and radioactive weapons from nuclear attacks or “dirty bombs.”

He was appointed in 2017 and has held more than 40 press conferences announcing the findings of his team of experts.

Since the conflict in Ukraine escalated in 2022, Mr. Kirillov’s reports have focused on issues related to the war, including accusing Ukrainian forces of using chemical agents on the battlefield and warning of possible provocations from Kiev.

In addition, Mr. Kirillov also issued warnings regarding US-backed microbiology laboratories, attracting great attention from Russia and many other countries.

The US government claims that the activities funded by the Pentagon's Defense Threat Reduction Agency are aimed at detecting natural threats, but critics say the programs have more dubious purposes.

In October 2024, Britain imposed sanctions on Mr Kirillov after he accused Ukraine of planning a fake chemical attack to blame Russia and undermine its credibility at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Mr Kirillov said NATO had supplied Ukraine with large quantities of chemical protection equipment, which he saw as a sign of an imminent threat.