Russian Authorities Arrest Uzbek National Suspected in Killing of Top General
Russian authorities have arrested a 29-year-old Uzbek national in connection with the deadly bombing of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, head of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops, and his aide Ilya Polikarpov, Al Jazeera reports.
The attack, which occurred Tuesday morning outside a Moscow apartment building, involved a bomb hidden in an electric scooter detonated remotely.
The Investigative Committee announced the arrest Wednesday, saying the suspect confessed to carrying out the attack at the behest of Ukrainian special forces. The suspect says he was promised a $100,000 reward and relocation to a European Union country in exchange for assassinating General Kirillov.
The FSB (Federal Security Service) says that the suspect, acting on instructions from Ukraine, traveled to Moscow, retrieved a homemade explosive device, and attached it to the scooter before monitoring Kirillov’s movements. A livestream of the location was reportedly sent to organizers in Dnipro, Ukraine. The bomb was detonated remotely after Kirillov left his building.
A source within the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) confirmed to Al Jazeera that the agency was behind the attack, although Ukraine has yet to issue an official statement. The Kremlin has condemned the incident as a “terrorist attack,” with spokesman Dmitry Peskov stating that the attack further exemplifies the Kyiv regime’s use of terrorist tactics.
The blast caused significant damage to the building, with images showing shattered windows and scorched brickwork. The suspect, according to the FSB, faces a potential life sentence.
