Russia’s Head of Nuclear Defense Forces Igor Kirillov Killed in Moscow Blast, SBU Claims Responsibility

[UPDATES] As of 10:30 a.m. Kyiv Post’s sources within Ukraine’s special services said the death of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, head of the radiation, chemical, and biological protection forces of the Russian Armed Forces, was the result of a special operation carried out by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU).

“Kirillov was a war criminal and a legitimate target. He was responsible for ordering the use of prohibited chemical weapons against Ukrainian forces,” an SBU source said. “This is the fate awaiting all those who kill Ukrainians. Retribution for war crimes is inevitable,” the source told Kyiv Post. 

Kirillov was on Monday, Dec. 16, charged in absentia by Ukrainian authorities over alleged war crimes following an investigation by the SBU.

Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, the head of Russia’s radiation, chemical, and biological protection forces, was killed in an explosion in Moscow early Tuesday morning, Dec. 17, according to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. Kirillov’s assistant, identified only as Ilya P., also died in the blast.

The explosion occurred around 6 a.m. on Ryazansky Prospekt when Kirillov and his assistant were leaving the entrance of a residential house.

Emergency services reported that an explosive device, equivalent to 200 grams of TNT, was planted on or inside a scooter standing on the street near the house.

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The blast caused significant damage to the area, shattering windows on the first three floors of a nearby apartment building and damaging the entrance and the general’s official car.

Kirillov, a key figure in Russia’s defense apparatus, was known for leading briefings since 2023 on alleged US “military biological activities” in Ukraine. In October he was sanctioned by Britain over the alleged use of chemical weapons in Ukraine.

Kirillov is the most senior Russian army official to be targeted on Russian territory. 

His death follows a series of high-profile killings of individuals tied to Russia’s military and defense sectors.

Authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the incident. The Moscow Prosecutor’s Office is overseeing the case.

String of Deaths Linked to Russian War Effort

The attack on Kirillov comes days after the reported killing of Mikhail Shatskyi, Deputy Chief Designer at the “Mars” construction bureau, in Moscow. Shatskyi, responsible for modernizing cruise missiles and developing drones used in attacks on Ukraine, was found with a gunshot wound to the head on Dec. 12.

Kyiv Post, citing Ukrainian intelligence sources, reported that Shatskyi’s death was part of a Ukrainian operation targeting figures responsible for weapons used against civilians. The Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) is alleged to have orchestrated the operation.

“War criminals will be punished, whether they personally killed or developed weapons that claimed the lives of peaceful Ukrainians,” a source told Kyiv Post anonymously.