Russian general killed in explosion in Moscow

A high-ranking general in the Russian armed forces and his assistant were killed in an explosion in Moscow.

Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, chief of the Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defense Forces (ABC), was leaving an apartment complex early Tuesday when a device hidden in a scooter exploded, Russia’s Investigative Committee said.

Images from the scene showed the entrance to a building badly damaged, with burn marks on the walls and several windows blown out. Two body bags could also be seen on the street.

In October, The United Kingdom imposed sanctions about Kirillov, saying he monitored the use of chemical weapons in Ukraine and acted as a “significant mouthpiece for Kremlin disinformation.”

On Monday, the Ukrainian secret service SBU brought charges against him in absentia on Telegram he was “responsible for the mass use of banned chemical weapons.”

Russia denies the allegations.

The Investigative Committee, Russia’s main investigative agency, said it had “opened a criminal case into the murder of two soldiers.”

“Investigators, forensic experts and emergency services are on site,” it said.

“Investigative measures and operational search measures are being carried out, aimed at identifying all the circumstances of the crime.”

As part of the British sanctions, Kirillov’s assets were frozen and a travel ban was imposed. The Foreign Office described him as an “important mouthpiece for Kremlin disinformation.”

In May, The USA accused Russia of using chemical weapons as a “method of warfare” in Ukraine, in violation of international laws prohibiting its use.

State Department officials said Russia used the asphyxiant chloropicrin to achieve “battlefield gains” against Ukraine.

The Kremlin rejected the allegations at the time, saying they were “baseless.”