The Russian general in charge of the country’s nuclear protection forces has been killed in an explosion in Moscow
Lt Gen Igor Kirillov was leaving a residential block on Tuesday when a device hidden in a scooter went off
The bomb was remotely operated and contained around 300g of explosives, Russian state media reports
On Monday, Kirillov was charged in Ukraine for the use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine
Kirillov had already been sanctioned by the UK, and others, for his role in Russia’s use of chemical weapons
The UK said Kirillov was also “a significant mouthpiece for Kremlin disinformation, spreading lies to mask Russia’s shameful and dangerous behaviour”
Blast was so Loud, Says Moscow Resident
A woman who heard the explosion this morning tells Reuters that the blast was “so loud”.
“At first we thought that cement might have been unloaded or something similar, the local resident says.
“But the blast was so loud that it did not seem like construction works. It was very scary.”
Kirillov – who was in charge of the country’s Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Defence Forces – and his assistant were killed by the bomb planted in a scooter which exploded while the pair were leaving an apartment building early on Tuesday.
The explosion took place in south-east Moscow, around four miles (6.5km) east of the Kremlin.
The device was remotely operated and could have contained around 300g of TNT equivalent material, Russia media reports.
Images from the scene show the building’s entrance badly damaged with scorch marks and broken windows, with rubble across the floor.
Yesterday, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) sentenced Kirillov in absentia for using banned chemical weapons in Ukraine.
He has previously been sanctioned by Western nations for his role in the Ukraine war – the UK said he was responsible for “helping deploy… barbaric weapons” BBC