Fri Dec 20 13:12:25 UTC 2024: ## Ukrainian Intelligence Assumes Responsibility for Moscow Assassination of Top Russian General
**Moscow, Russia/Kyiv, Ukraine** – A Ukrainian official has claimed responsibility for the assassination of Major General Igor Kirillov, the 54-year-old head of Russia’s nuclear, biological, and chemical protection forces. Kirillov and his aide were killed Tuesday in a bomb explosion near Kirillov’s Moscow apartment building. The attack, which involved explosives hidden in a scooter, shattered windows and doors in the surrounding building.
The assassination is the latest in a series of high-profile killings of Russian military figures and collaborators in both Russia and Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories over the past two months. While Ukraine doesn’t always publicly claim responsibility, a Ukrainian official speaking anonymously to multiple news outlets, including Al Jazeera, confirmed their involvement in this instance. The official described Kirillov as a “legitimate target.”
Kirillov, a frequent guest on Russian state television, had recently made unsubstantiated claims about Ukraine planning to use a “dirty bomb” and the US operating biological warfare labs within Ukraine. His death comes just one day after Ukrainian intelligence accused him of ordering the use of banned chemical weapons against Ukrainian soldiers.
The targeting of Kirillov, a senior figure involved in Russia’s war effort, marks an escalation in the conflict. Ukrainian officials and analysts have described this campaign as a systemic effort to eliminate key figures involved in war crimes and the overall military campaign against Ukraine. This targeted assassination campaign has been ongoing for over a decade, evolving from focusing primarily on separatist leaders in Donbas to reaching into Russia itself.
The incident has sparked a mixture of reactions. While some Ukrainians celebrated the killing of a high-ranking Russian official involved in spreading disinformation and alleged war crimes, others expressed concern about potential retaliation and the ongoing human cost of the war. Indeed, a Russian missile attack on Kyiv Friday morning, killing one and injuring seven, is seen by some as a direct response. Pro-Kremlin media outlets have also decried the assassination and blamed an Uzbek national for carrying out the attack. However, the Kremlin has yet to release a detailed official statement on the event. The escalating cycle of violence underscores the deepening tensions and the lack of foreseeable end to the ongoing conflict.
First Piper 