Russian general killed in Moscow explosion

A senior general in the Russian armed forces was killed in an explosion in Moscow.

Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, head of the Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defense Forces (NBC), was leaving a residential block early on Tuesday when a device hidden in a scooter was detonated, Russia’s Investigative Committee said.

He added that Kirillov’s assistant was also killed.

In October, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions against Kirillov, saying he had overseen the use of chemical weapons in Ukraine and acted as a “major spokesperson for Kremlin disinformation.”

On Monday, Ukraine’s secret service, the SBU, charged him in absentia, saying in telegram was “responsible for the massive use of banned chemical weapons.”

The Investigative Committee, Russia’s top investigative authority, said it had “opened a criminal case into the murder of two servicemen.”

“Investigators, forensic experts and operational services are working at the scene,” he added.

“Investigative actions and operational search activities are being carried out aimed at establishing all the circumstances of the crime.”