Russian authorities have arrested a suspect in connection with the killing of General Igor Kirillov, the head of the army’s chemical weapons division, and his aide, Ilya Polikarpov. The attack, which occurred in Moscow, involved an explosive device and has been linked to alleged involvement by Ukrainian special forces.
In a statement released Wednesday, Russia’s Investigative Committee identified the suspect as a 28-year-old Uzbek national born in 1995. The suspect allegedly confessed to being recruited by Ukrainian special forces to carry out the attack.
The incident took place early Tuesday morning when an explosive device attached to a scooter detonated as Kirillov and his aide exited a Moscow apartment building. Investigators revealed that a dashboard camera on a rented car parked nearby captured the attack and streamed it live to organizers in Dnipro, Ukraine.
The suspect claimed he was promised $100,000 and the opportunity to settle in a European country in exchange for executing the attack, according to the statement.
Kirillov, 54, was a high-ranking military figure in charge of the Russian army’s chemical, biological, and radiological defense forces. He was recently sanctioned by Britain. His assassination marks the most significant killing of a senior Russian military official since the Kremlin launched its military campaign in Ukraine nearly three years ago.
The attack occurred in a residential area in southeast Moscow, just a day after President Vladimir Putin commended Russian troops for their operations in Ukraine.
