Uzbek National Arrested for Alleged Role in Assassination of Russian General Igor Kirillov
International News Department 18-12-2024
Russian authorities have detained a suspect in connection with the murder of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov and his aide, Ilya Polikarpov, following a bomb explosion in Moscow.
The Investigative Committee announced on Wednesday that a 29-year-old Uzbek national is accused of carrying out the attack, reportedly under instructions from Ukrainian intelligence services. The suspect allegedly admitted to being “recruited by Ukrainian special forces.”
Kirillov, 54, served as the head of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Protection Troops since 2017. He was killed on Tuesday morning when an explosive device concealed in an electric scooter detonated near his apartment building. The blast, remotely triggered, caused significant damage, shattering windows and scorching the building’s exterior.
A source within Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) reportedly confirmed their involvement in the operation, though official Ukrainian authorities have yet to comment.
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) released footage of the suspect’s interrogation, stating he could face life imprisonment if convicted. According to the FSB, the individual was promised $100,000 and relocation to a European Union country in exchange for carrying out the assassination.
The suspect allegedly traveled to Moscow to execute the plan, acquiring a homemade explosive device, attaching it to the electric scooter, and positioning it near the residential building. He also rented a car to surveil the location and set up a live camera feed to share real-time footage with operatives in Dnipro, Ukraine. The bomb was detonated when Kirillov exited the building.
Kirillov is the highest-ranking Russian military official to be killed inside Russia during the ongoing conflict with Ukraine. His assassination is expected to prompt a reevaluation of security measures for senior military figures.
Since the onset of the war in February 2022, Kirillov had frequently accused Ukraine of deploying toxic agents and preparing attacks using radioactive materials—claims dismissed by Ukraine and its Western allies as baseless propaganda.
This incident adds to a series of alleged Ukrainian attacks within Russia, targeting missile developers, weapons engineers, and military commanders involved in the war effort.
