Lagatar24 Desk
Kyiv: Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) was reportedly behind the bomb blast that killed Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, Russia’s top chemical weapons chief, outside his residence on Tuesday. The Associated Press (AP) quoted an unnamed Ukrainian security official confirming SBU’s involvement, calling Kirillov a “war criminal and an entirely legitimate target.”
Kirillov, aged 54, served as the chief of Russia’s nuclear, biological, and chemical protection forces since 2017. The attack occurred when a remote-controlled bomb, hidden in a scooter parked outside his home, exploded as he left for work. The blast also claimed the life of his assistant.
The incident took place just a day after Ukraine’s SBU launched a criminal investigation into Kirillov, accusing him of ordering the use of banned chemical weapons in the war against Ukraine.
Ukraine Accuses Russia of Chemical Weapon Use
According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia has used chemical weapons 4,800 times since its full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Earlier this year, the US State Department also cited the use of chloropicrin, a poison gas dating back to World War I, against Ukrainian forces.
Russia, however, denied these allegations and accused Ukraine of deploying toxic substances against its troops. Kirillov had been at the forefront of these counterclaims, frequently alleging that Ukraine planned radioactive and toxic attacks, a narrative dismissed as “propaganda” by Kyiv and its Western allies.
Russia Calls It ‘Terrorism’; Promises Retribution
Following the attack, Russia’s top investigative agency launched a terrorism probe. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now Deputy Head of the Security Council, accused Ukraine of orchestrating the attack to “distract from its military failures” and warned of “inevitable retribution” for Ukraine’s leadership.
The targeted killing follows a series of escalations in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, which has seen intensifying hostilities, particularly in the Donetsk region. Just last week, an explosive device targeted Sergei Yevsyukov, the former head of Olenivka Prison, where Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed in a 2022 strike.
NATO and Western Support for Ukraine
The incident underscores the escalating conflict as Ukraine seeks NATO membership and continues to receive substantial military and diplomatic backing from its Western allies. Meanwhile, Russia maintains its stance, vowing not to relent.
