In a dramatic escalation of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, the head of Russia’s military nuclear, biological, and chemical protection forces, was assassinated on Tuesday morning in Moscow in a bomb exposion. His assistant Ilya Polikarpov also died in an explosion that has sent shockwaves throughout Russia’s capital and signaled what could be a new stage of the war.
The attack took place outside an apartment building when a bomb hidden inside an electric scooter detonated when Kirillov and his assistant were exiting the premises. The sophistication of the attack and the fact that it happened within Moscow have evoked deep concerns about the security aspect of the war and its proximity to the lives of ordinary Russians.
Kirillov, 54, was no ordinary military man. He was the head of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Protection Forces – an important position in Russia’s military machinery. As he stepped out of his apartment building on Ryazansky Avenue, an explosive device, concealed in an electric scooter, suddenly detonated, killing him and his assistant on the spot.
The attack was reportedly claimed by Ukraine’s Security Service, or SBU, which had just the previous day filed criminal charges against Kirillov. They had accused him of a grave war crime: ordering the deployment of banned chemical weapons during the conflict in Ukraine. The UK had sanctioned Kirillov, back in October, citing allegations that he oversaw the use of chemical weapons and acted as a mouthpiece for Kremlin propaganda.
Local residents were stunned. Liza, who lived nearby, described the shocking moment: “It’s one thing reading about the war in the news, but when it happens next door, that’s completely different and frightening.” Many Moscow residents had been living with a sense that the war was distant and unreal – until now.
The Russian response was swift and angry. Dmitry Medvedev, a senior Russian official, immediately called for revenge, declaring that investigators must find the killers and “destroy their patrons in Kyiv.” The Russian security services claim on December 18 that they’ve already arrested a 29-year-old Uzbek national who they say was recruited by
Ukrainian intelligence
Ukraine has made it clear that such targeted killings are a legitimate strategy in what they see as an existential conflict. For them, Kirillov was a “legitimate target” responsible for alleged war crimes.
The assassination is something new. While targeted killings have occurred during the war, an attack deep in Moscow against such a high-ranking military official is something new. It demonstrates Ukraine’s ability to strike at the heart of Russian military leadership and brings the war’s brutality closer to home for ordinary Russians.
As tensions escalate, many wonder how Russia will respond. With President Putin’s annual press conference approaching, all eyes are on the Kremlin to see what retaliatory steps might be taken in the wake of this dramatic assassination.
One thing is certain: the war just got a lot more personal for many in Moscow.