Igor Kirillov, head of Russia’s Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Protection Troops, has died in an explosion in Moscow, with Ukraine’s SBU security service claiming responsibility for the targeted operation.
Kirillov, widely accused by the West of overseeing chemical weapon use in Ukraine, was killed alongside an aide when explosives concealed in an electric scooter detonated outside his residence on Ryazansky Prospekt in southeastern Moscow, Russian officials confirmed.
Ukraine’s SBU described the attack as a “special operation against a legitimate target.”
Kirillov had gained infamy for his role as both commander of Russia’s chemical protection forces and a prominent figure in the Kremlin’s disinformation campaigns. The UK Foreign Office labeled him a “significant mouthpiece for Kremlin propaganda” and accused his forces of deploying “barbaric chemical weapons in Ukraine”, including riot control agents and toxic choking substances like chloropicrin.
Kirillov, who led Russia’s Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Protection Troops since 2017, played a central role in Russia’s military efforts to identify hazards, defend against contamination, and utilize incendiary weapons.
On the eve of his death, Ukraine’s SBU named Kirillov in absentia in a criminal case, accusing him of orchestrating the “mass use” of banned chemical weapons on the eastern and southern Ukrainian fronts. Ukrainian authorities claim over 4,800 chemical munitions attacks have been recorded since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
The accusations extend to drone-delivered toxic substances and modified combat grenades, with Ukrainian officials pointing to systematic violations of international chemical weapons treaties.
Kirillov became a central figure in Russia’s justification for its war against Ukraine, making a series of unfounded allegations against Kyiv and the West.
Early in the conflict, he falsely claimed that the United States was operating biological weapons laboratories in Ukraine—an assertion amplified by pro-Kremlin media but dismissed as baseless by independent experts.
His more recent claims included unfounded allegations that Ukraine sought to seize Russia’s Kursk nuclear power plant and was developing a “dirty bomb”, assertions Western nations called “transparently false.”
Kirillov also accused Ukraine of operating chemical weapons labs near the front lines with Western assistance, naming substances like hydrocyanic acid and cyanogen chloride—allegations vehemently denied by Kyiv.
Pro-Kremlin officials have condemned Kirillov’s death as a significant loss and a testament to Ukraine’s increasing ability to strike high-profile targets within Russian territory.
Konstantin Kosachev, deputy speaker of Russia’s upper house of parliament, described Kirillov’s killing as an “irreparable loss”, while Russian loyalists expressed outrage over Ukraine’s bold targeting of senior military figures in Moscow.
The incident underscores the escalating conflict and raises concerns about Ukraine’s expanding operational reach into Russian territory amid the ongoing war.
