The assassination of Russian Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov in Moscow was “not a good idea” according to retired US Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, whom Donald Trump plans to appoint as his special envoy on Ukraine and Russia, as stated in a Fox News interview Wednesday.
However, Kellogg stated that the killing of Kirillov does not obstruct “peace talks” between Ukraine and Russia but could potentially violate the rules of warfare.
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
Kirillov, the head of Russia’s Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Protection Forces, was killed in an explosion of a bomb attached to a scooter in Moscow on the morning of Tuesday, Dec. 17. The special operation was carried out by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), according to Kyiv Post sources.
Kellogg acknowledged that targeting Kirillov could be considered justified due to the accusations against him. However, he warned that killing military officers in their hometowns might “escalate tensions.”
“When you kill admirals or generals in their hometown, it’s kind of like you’re extending it. And I don’t think it’s a smart thing to do,” he said in an interview with Fox News on Dec. 18.
Kellogg also noted that Kirillov’s assassination was reportedly conducted by a recruited operative, which he called “not a good idea at all.”
“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 to the Kyiv Post on Tuesday.
Putin Says Inflation ‘Worrying’ But Russian Economy ‘Stable’
“This is the fate awaiting all those who kill Ukrainians. Retribution for war crimes is inevitable.”
Photo was provided by Kyiv Post’s sources in Ukraine’s special services.
Kirillov was on Monday, Dec. 16, charged in absentia by Ukrainian authorities over alleged war crimes following an investigation by the SBU.
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.
You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter
