Ukraine Claims Responsibility for Assassination of Russian General Igor Kirillov in Moscow

Ukraine has claimed responsibility for the assassination of a senior Russian military official, Lt Gen Igor Kirillov, in a targeted explosion in Moscow.

The attack, which involved an explosive device concealed in an electric scooter, occurred outside a residential building in south-east Moscow on Tuesday. The blast killed Kirillov, the head of Russia’s chemical, biological, and radiological weapons unit, along with his assistant as they exited the building.

A source within Ukraine’s SBU security service confirmed Kyiv's involvement, marking one of the boldest assassinations of a high-ranking military official since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began nearly three years ago.

Kirillov is the most senior Russian military figure to be killed away from the frontlines during the conflict. The assassination has provoked a sharp response from Russia, with Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of the country’s security council, promising retaliation.

“We must do everything to eliminate those who ordered the assassination of Gen Kirillov, namely the military-political leadership of Ukraine,” Medvedev declared during a meeting with Russian leadership.

The incident underscores escalating tensions in the ongoing war, with both sides intensifying their strategies on and off the battlefield.