Top Russian General Killed by Bomb in Moscow

Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, chief of Russia’s Troops of Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defence, was killed on Tuesday in a bomb explosion outside an apartment building on Ryazansky Prospekt in Moscow, Al Jazeera reports, citing Russia’s investigative committee.

A second individual, identified as Kirillov’s assistant, also perished in the blast.

The investigative committee said that the explosive device, estimated at some 300 grams of TNT equivalent, was hidden within an electric scooter. Russian news agency Tass cited a law enforcement official as the source of the explosive capacity information.

General Kirillov oversaw Russia’s special forces responsible for operations in areas contaminated by radioactive, chemical, or biological agents. His death comes just a day after Ukrainian prosecutors charged him in absentia with the alleged use of chemical weapons in Ukraine, a claim vehemently denied by Russia. In addition, there have been many reports about Ukrainian forces using the banned chemical weapons on the country’s territory. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) publicized the charges on Monday, according to the Kyiv Independent.

The circumstances surrounding the assassination are under investigation. According to reuters, Ukrainian intelligence agencies have claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack.