Two people died in an explosion that occurred in the district of Ryzansky Prospect, as reported by the Russian state news agency TASS, citing emergency services.
Dead, according to Reuters, is the head of the unit, biological and chemical protection (PBHP) of , .
The explosion, which was caused by a bomb placed on a skate and detonated as Kirillov got out of his limousine, killed him and his assistant.
Last October, the UK imposed sanctions on Kirillov, saying he had overseen the use of chemical weapons in and acted as a “major Kremlin disinformation agent”.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) yesterday, Monday, December 16, convicted Kirillov in absentia for the use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine.
See images from the site of the explosion
A criminal investigation is underway
Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a criminal investigation into the death of two men on Ryazansky Prospekt, Russia’s state-run RIA news agency reported, citing Moscow investigators.
Investigators and medical examiners are working together with employees of other emergency services, TASS news agency reported.
Video from the site of the explosion – Harrowing images
Photos posted on Russian Telegram channels showed a broken entrance to a building full of rubble and two bodies in the blood-stained snow.
Reuters footage from the scene showed a police cordon at the scene.
The head of the Russian military’s RKhBZ troops Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov and his assistant were both killed in an explosion in Moscow as they left an apartment building. The explosive may have been planted on a scooter parked near the entrance.…
— Rob Lee (@RALee85)
An explosion was heard on Ryazansky Prospekt in Moscow — 2 people were preliminarily killed
An explosion occurred near a house on Ryazansky Prospekt — 2 people were reported dead, their bodies were lying on the ground. Preliminary, this could have happened as a result of an IED…
— Vladi 🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺 (@joiedevivre789)
“could be an assassination attempt”
According to the Russian channel “112” “it could be an assassination attempt.” The explosion, according to the same source, was heard from a car, shortly before the victims boarded it.
Russian news channel «112» reports:
\\An explosion was heard on Ryazansky Prospekt in Moscow.
Preliminary, two people died as a result of the incident. The explosion could have been heard from a car near the entrance.
This could be an assassination attempt. Emergency services are…— nofm_geopolitics (@nofmgeopolitics)
Who was Kirillov?
Igor Kirillov was appointed head of the force in April 2017. According to Russian state media Tass, he attended the Higher Military School of Chemical Defense Command in Kostroma.
The general served in different roles in Russia’s military related to hazardous materials, including the Directorate of the Chief of the Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defense Forces.
For direct participation in military actions against a sovereign state (Ukraine), Kirillov was added to the list of international sanctions. On February 23, 2022, it was added to Canada’s sanctions list. On October 19, 2022, it was added to Ukraine’s sanctions list.
In particular, last October, the UK imposed sanctions on Kirillov, saying he had overseen the use of chemical weapons in and acted as a “major Kremlin disinformation agent”.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) yesterday, Monday, December 16, convicted Kirillov in absentia for the use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine.
