Russia detains Uzbekistani over General’s killing in Moscow

Russian authorities say a 29-year-old man from Uzbekistan has been detained over the killing of Senior General Igor Kirillov and his assistant in Moscow.

Lt. Gen Igor Kirillov, Head of the Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection Forces, was outside a residential block early on Tuesday when an explosive device hidden in an electric scooter was detonated remotely, the authorities say.

Russia’s Investigative Committee (SK) says the suspect who has not been publicly named has admitted he was recruited by Ukrainian special services.

Ukraine’s security service SBU had already claimed it was behind the killing. The Ukrainian source said Kirillov, 54, was “a legitimate target” and alleged he had carried out war crimes.

On Monday, the day before the killing, Ukraine charged the Russian General in absentia; saying he was responsible for the mass use of banned chemical weapons”. Moscow denies the allegations.

A Kremlin spokesman said Russian President Vladimir Putin “expresses deep condolences” over Kirillov’s death, Russian state-run news agency Tass reported.

In a statement on Wednesday, the SK said the detained man born in 1995 was a citizen of Uzbekistan.

It said he was “suspected of committing a terrorist act” and that during interrogation, “he explained that he was recruited by the Ukrainian special services”.

The explosive device had been placed on the scooter parked near the entrance to the residential building where Kirillov lived, the SK said.

To monitor the location, the suspect had rented a car, where he installed a video camera that was live streaming to the attack organisers in Ukraine’s City of Dnipro, the investigative committee added.

When Kirillov and his assistant Ilya Polikarpov left the building, the explosive device was remotely activated, the statement said.