MOSCOW (CHATNEWSTV) — A high-ranking Russian general was killed in an explosion in Moscow on Tuesday morning, an attack that a Ukrainian official claimed responsibility for, marking a significant escalation in the war between the two countries.
Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, head of Russia’s nuclear, biological, and chemical defense forces, and his assistant died in the blast, which Russian investigators classified as a suspected “terrorist act.”
An unnamed Ukrainian official told multiple news outlets that Kyiv orchestrated the attack, calling Kirillov a “legitimate target.” The general had been charged in absentia by Ukraine’s domestic security service just a day earlier for allegedly using banned chemical weapons against Ukrainian civilians.
Kirillov’s death makes him the highest-ranking Russian military officer to be killed outside the battlefield since the Kremlin launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Russia’s deputy Security Council head condemned the assassination, vowing “inevitable retribution” against Ukraine’s leadership. “This heinous act will not go unanswered,” he said.
The killing comes as diplomatic efforts to end the war remain fraught. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who has signaled his intention to broker peace, urged Ukraine to prepare for negotiations.
“Ukraine needs to be ready to make a deal with Russia,” Trump said during a press conference Monday.
The explosion in Moscow is the latest in a series of high-profile incidents targeting Russian officials and infrastructure, underscoring the deepening tensions as the war enters its third year.
