Russian Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, a war criminal and Ukrainian assassination target, was killed in an explosion on December 17, 2024, in Moscow. Kirillov was the head of the Russian Armed Forces‘ radiation, chemical, and biological defense troops (RKhBZ) and had been accused of spreading disinformation about Ukraine’s alleged development of a “dirty bomb” and biological weapons.
Kirillov was involved in spreading false claims that Ukraine was developing a “dirty bomb,” a crude nuclear device designed to contaminate a wide area with radiation, making it inhabitable. He also claimed to have documents obtained on the first day of the full-scale invasion showing that Ukraine had set the task of completely destroying bio-agents in laboratories.
The World Health Organization (WHO) clarified that Ukraine was advised to destroy high-threat pathogens in labs in order to “any potential spills,” but stressed this was related to routine scientific research and not biological weapons.
Kirillov’s death has sparked a terrorism investigation by Russia’s Investigative Committee, with two undisclosed sources telling the Russian RBC news agency that investigators consider Ukraine’s involvement the most likely scenario. However, the Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims.
The assassination of Kirillov highlights the complexities and nuances of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, where both sides have accused each other of various war crimes and misinformation.