Footage from a car dashboard camera, widely shared on Russian Telegram channels, captured the moment of a deadly explosion on Ryazansky Prospekt in Moscow on the morning of Tuesday, Dec. 17.
Kyiv Post’s sources in Ukraine’s special services have confirmed the authenticity of the video.
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The blast killed Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, head of Russia’s radiation, chemical, and biological protection forces, along with his assistant, Ilya Polikarpov.
Investigators revealed that the explosive device, equivalent to 300 grams of TNT, was attached to an electric scooter parked near a building entrance. It is believed the bomb was remotely detonated the moment when General Kirillov and his assistant Polikarpov were passing by it.
Kirillov, a key figure in Russia’s defense apparatus, was known for leading briefings since 2023 on alleged US “military biological activities” in Ukraine. In October he was sanctioned by Britain over the alleged use of chemical weapons in Ukraine.
Kirillov is the most senior Russian army official to be targeted on Russian territory.
His death follows a series of high-profile killings of individuals tied to Russia’s military and defense sectors.
Russian media allege the incident was an act of sabotage by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. However, sources within Ukraine’s special services told the Kyiv Post that the operation was conducted by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).
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Just one day earlier, on Monday, Dec. 16, General Kirillov had been charged in absentia by Ukrainian authorities for alleged war crimes following an SBU investigation.
Ukrainian officials, however, have denied any involvement in the attack, and the investigation remains ongoing.
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