According to a source cited by Reuters, the secret services of Kiev have killed a senior Russian military official and his assistant. The attack, which occurred at a crucial moment in the war in Ukraine, took place on Tuesday in Moscow, just a few kilometers from the Kremlin, when a bomb hidden in an electric scooter and remotely activated hit the two military personnel. The target of the attack was Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, head of Russia's Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Protection Troops. He had been sanctioned by Canada and the United Kingdom, and Ukraine had accused him of using chemical weapons during Putin's war on its territory.
Another point of interest is in the United States. All parties are aware that the arrival of Donald Trump at the White House could be a turning point in the war in Ukraine. The president-elect has reiterated in recent hours an idea he shared with Time magazine: his opposition to the permission Biden gave Zelensky to attack Russian targets with American projectiles inside Russia. A decision he has labeled as "stupid." His insistence suggests a possible reversal of that measure.
Russian Forces Claim to Have Captured Hannivka in Eastern Ukraine
Russian forces have taken control of the settlement of Hannivka in eastern Ukraine, as reported on Tuesday by the Russian state news agency RIA, citing the Ministry of Defense. Reuters has not been able to independently verify this information on the battlefield.
Russia Claims Lieutenant General Kirillov Worked "Fearlessly for the Motherland"
Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, killed along with his assistant in an attack in Moscow, sometimes appeared on Russian state television in briefings at the Ministry of Defense where he accused Ukraine of violating nuclear security protocols or the West of various alleged crimes. Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, paid tribute to Kirillov by stating that he had worked "fearlessly" for "the Motherland" to expose what she claimed were Western crimes related to chemical and other weapons, and what Moscow believed were cover-ups in Syria and other places.
In October, Britain imposed sanctions on Kirillov and his nuclear defense forces for the use of riot control agents and multiple reports of the use of the toxic choking agent chloropicrin on the battlefield. According to Ukraine, these agents are used to disorient their troops and render them unable to defend against Russian attacks.
Former Russian President Medvedev Vows to Avenge the Murder of Lieutenant General Kirillov in Moscow
Dmitry Medvedev, Vice President of the Russian Security Council, stated on Tuesday that Ukrainian leaders will face imminent revenge for the assassination of a high-ranking Russian general, as reported by the RIA news agency.
Ukrainian Secret Services, Authors of the Attack that Killed a Senior Russian Military Official in Moscow
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) killed Lieutenant General Russian Igor Kirillov on Tuesday in a special operation in Moscow, as revealed to Reuters by an agency source. Reuters has not been able to independently verify the claim.
The source stated that Kiev considered Kirillov a war criminal and a "completely legitimate target," accusing him of ordering the use of prohibited chemical weapons against Ukrainian forces in the war.
No Reactions So Far in Ukraine to the Fatal Attack on a Senior Russian Military Officer in Moscow
There have been no comments so far in Ukraine regarding the assassination of Lieutenant General Kirillov and his assistant in Moscow. Russia has accused Ukraine of carrying out targeted killings on its territory since the beginning of the war initiated by Putin against Ukraine in February 2022.
The most notable cases include the 2022 assassination of Darya Dugina, daughter of Russian nationalist ideologue Alexander Dugin, in a car bomb attack, the assassination of pro-war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky in a café bombing in 2023, and the shooting last year of a Russian submarine commander accused of war crimes by Kiev.
Popular Funding for the Ukrainian Army Decreases as Groups Seek Creative Ways to Raise Money
The concert took place in a former film studio in Kiev, whose location was kept secret until the last moment in case of a Russian attack. According to the AP agency, over 1,000 soldiers and young people gathered to listen to the artists who joined forces with a military brigade in an innovative effort to raise funds for the besieged Ukrainian troops.
This was the first and only live performance of the charitable album 'Epoch,' a collaboration between the 3rd Assault Brigade and eight Ukrainian bands. The ambitious goal of the project is to raise 50 million hryvnias (about 1.2 million dollars) topurchase an M113 armored personnel carrier to help transport infantry to the front lines and evacuate the wounded for medical treatment.
Since its release on streaming platforms a month ago, the initiative has raised 9 million hryvnias (about 214,000 dollars). Fundraising for Ukrainian fighters dates back to 2014, the year Russia first annexed the southern region of Crimea and Moscow-backed separatists launched an uprising in eastern Ukraine. At that time, Ukraine's defense consisted of a regular army supported by volunteer battalions that did not have financial support from the Kiev government. Self-funding was crucial.
The General Assassinated in Moscow, Accused in Absentia of Using Chemical Weapons in the War in Ukraine
On Monday, General Kirillov, who was killed on Tuesday in Moscow, was formally charged with using prohibited chemical weapons in Ukraine, as reported by Kyiv Independent citing the Security Service of Ukraine. The Security Service of Ukraine, the SBU, stated that they had recorded over 4,800 uses of chemical weapons on the battlefield since February 2022, particularly K-1 combat grenades.
Russia has denied these accusations so far, which were documented by EL MUNDO in March and later confirmed by the United States and the European Union. In October, Britain also sanctioned Kirillov and the nuclear protection forces for the use of riot control agents and multiple reports of the use of the toxic choking agent chloropicrin on the battlefield. The high command had also been sanctioned by Canada.
Investigative Commission Confirms Identity of Slain Military Officer in Moscow
Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, head of Russia's Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Protection Troops, was killed in front of an apartment building on Ryazansky Prospekt, where a road begins about seven kilometers (4 miles) southeast of the Kremlin. "Igor Kirillov, head of the Radiological, Chemical, and Biological Protection Troops of the Russian Armed Forces, and his assistant were killed," stated the investigative commission. Both were hit by the explosion of a bomb hidden in an electric scooter and remotely activated.
The Russian radiological, chemical, and biological defense troops, known as RKhBZ, are special forces that operate in radioactive, chemical, and biological contamination conditions.