Russia has arrested a man suspected of a deadly moped bomb attack that killed the Kremlin’s nuclear general.
Gen. Igor Kirillov was killed on Tuesday when a bomb concealed in a scooter detonated outside his apartment building in Moscow.
The blast occurred just a day after Ukraine‘s security service filed criminal charges against him. Kirillov’s assistant also died. Ukraine‘s security service has claimed responsibility for the assassination.
The suspect in question is an Uzbek citizen, allegedly recruited by Ukrainian intelligence services, Russia‘s Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed.
Although the FSB did not disclose the man’s name, they revealed he was born in 1995 and claimed to have been enlisted by Ukrainian special forces. Lt.
The FSB alleges that the suspect was offered a $100,000 (£79,000) reward and the opportunity to relocate to a European Union country in return for executing Kirillov. According to the agency, the suspect travelled to Moscow under instructions from Ukraine, collected a homemade explosive device, and planted it on an electric scooter outside Kirillov’s residence.
The suspect then allegedly rented a vehicle to surveil the area and installed a camera to live-stream footage to his contacts in Dnipro, a central Ukrainian city. Upon seeing Kirillov exit the building, the suspect triggered the explosion.
As per the FSB’s statement, the suspect could face a sentence of life imprisonment.
Kirillov, 54, the head of Russia‘s nuclear, biological and chemical protection forces, was under sanctions from several nations, including the UK and Canada, due to his involvement in Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) launched a criminal investigation against him on Monday, alleging that he oversaw the use of prohibited chemical weapons.
According to Russian news reports, the bomb used in Tuesday’s attack was detonated remotely. Images from the scene showed broken windows and charred brickwork.
Russia‘s leading state investigative agency is treating Kirillov’s death as an act of terrorism, and officials in Moscow have pledged to retaliate against Ukraine.