Igor Kirillov: Russia’s Chemical Weapons Leader Assassinated in Moscow
Igor Kirillov, who led Russia’s Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Protection forces, was killed in an explosion in Moscow, accused by Western nations of overseeing the deployment of chemical weapons in Ukraine. In Russia, he was seen as a dedicated patriot, revealing supposed Western “crimes.”
Ukrainian sources from the SBU security service claimed responsibility for the attack, labeling it as a targeted strike against a “war criminal” and asserting his legitimacy as a target. According to Russian officials, the attack utilized explosives hidden within an electric scooter, detonated as Kirillov exited his residence on Ryazansky Prospekt in southeast Moscow.
Kirillov gained notoriety for his frequent, often baseless, briefings at the Russian Ministry of Defense, where he propagated what the UK Foreign Office described as “Kremlin disinformation.”
His death has been mourned by Russian figures like Konstantin Kosachev, who termed it an “irreparable loss,” and Andrei Gurulyov, who vowed retribution, highlighting Kirillov’s role in obtaining weapons meant solely for battlefield use and his understanding of alleged U.S. criminal activities. The assassination has been interpreted by pro-Kremlin voices as evidence of Ukrainian capabilities to target high-ranking officials in Moscow, with some accusing Western involvement.
From the onset of the conflict, Kirillov made numerous claims against Ukraine and the West, notably alleging U.S. involvement in creating biological weapons labs in Ukraine, claims used to rationalize Russia’s invasion in 2022. Despite these allegations being dismissed by experts, Kirillov persisted with such assertions, including claims about Ukraine’s intentions with the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant and the development of a “dirty bomb.”
Before his death, Kirillov was accused of promoting conspiracy theories about Western countries creating viruses like mpox and COVID-19 for ethnic-specific biological warfare, which the U.S. State Department suggested might prelude a false flag operation by Russia to justify its own use of weapons of mass destruction.
Russia has denied employing chemical weapons in Ukraine, instead accusing Kyiv of using toxic agents. Nevertheless, Kirillov had been charged in absentia by Ukraine for employing banned chemical weapons during the conflict that began in February 2022.
This assassination adds to a series of targeted killings within Russia, demonstrating the ongoing covert operations and the volatile nature of the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
