Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, head of the radiation, chemical and biological protection troops of the Russian Armed Forces, was killed on December 17 in an operation by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), a source in the service told the Kyiv Independent.
Kirillov and another Russian serviceman were reportedly killed in an explosion earlier that day at a residence in Moscow. Ukraine had previously accused the commander of using banned chemical weapons in the war against Ukraine.
According to the source, the explosives attached to a scooter exploded when Kirillov and his aide approached the entrance to the house on Ryazansky Prospekt in Moscow.
“Kirillov is a war criminal and a completely legitimate target, as he gave the order to use banned chemical weapons against the Ukrainian military,” the source said.
“Retribution for war crimes is inevitable,” he added.
Russia’s use of gas attacks is on the rise, according to an investigation by the Kyiv Independent in August.
Ukrainian soldiers and officers have acknowledged that the tactic is effective, as it allows Moscow to sometimes seize positions without destroying them.
On October 8, Britain imposed sanctions on Kirillov and his unit over the use of chemical weapons on the battlefield in Ukraine. | BGNES
