Ukraine claimed responsibility for Tuesday's killing of a senior Russian general on a Moscow street. The attack was carried out through the remote-controlled explosion of a bomb placed inside a small motor (scooter) parked near the building where the senior military leader resided.
Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, head of the nuclear, biological and chemical forces, was killed on his way to his office. His assistant was also killed in the explosion.
Several countries, including Britain and Canada, had included the 54-year-old Russian general on the sanctions list, due to his activities during the nearly three-year war in Ukraine. On Monday, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) opened a criminal investigation against him, accusing him of ordering the use of banned chemical weapons.
An SBU official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said his agency is responsible for the assassination. The Ukrainian official described the Russian general Kirillov as "a war criminal and a completely legitimate target".
The SBU says it has recorded more than 4,800 cases of Russia using chemical weapons on the battlefield since the frontal offensive in Ukraine began in February 2022. In May, the US State Department said it had recorded the use of chloropicrin against Ukrainian forces. (otherwise known as nitrochloroform), a poison gas that was first used in World War I.
Russia denies using chemical weapons in Ukraine and has even accused Kiev of using toxic agents in the fighting.
General Kirillov had been in the post since 2017 and was among the most senior officials accusing Kiev. He has held numerous briefings in which he accused the Ukrainian military of using toxic agents and planning to launch attacks with radioactive substances - claims that Ukraine and its Western allies dismiss as propaganda.
News reports in Russia said the bomb used on Tuesday was remotely detonated. Images from the scene showed broken windows and damaged walls.
The SBU official showed video he said was from the explosion. The video shows two men exiting a building shortly before the explosion.
Russia's top investigative agency said it was investigating the killing of General Kirillov as a case of terrorism, and officials in Moscow vowed to punish Ukraine.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, which is headed by President Vladimir Putin, described the attack as an attempt by Kiev to distract public attention from military failures and vowed that "(Ukraine's) top political and military leaders will face the inevitable punishment".
Over the past year, Russia, despite heavy losses, has gained territory in eastern Ukraine, although Ukraine took territory from Russia in the Kursk region during an operation in August.
Since Russia began its military offensive, several high-profile assassinations are believed to have been carried out by Ukraine.
Some of the data for this article was obtained from The Associated Press news agency. /VOA (A2 Televizion)
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