Detainee in Kirillov murder case confesses to cooperation with Ukraine

On December 18, the Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia reported the detention of a 29-year-old citizen of Uzbekistan in the case of murder of the head of the Radiation, Chemical and Biological Defense (RCBZ) troops of the Russian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov and his assistant Ilya Polikarpov.

"The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation as a result of operational and investigative measures carried out jointly with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia and the Investigative Committee of Russia identified and detained a citizen of the Republic of Uzbekistan, born in 1995, who detonated a homemade explosive device near a residential building on Ryazansky Avenue in Moscow," the agency said in a statement.

It also specified that during the interrogation the man explained that he was recruited by the Ukrainian special services.

The citizen of Uzbekistan arrived in Moscow and received an improvised explosive device (IED). He then placed it on an electric scooter and parked it near the house where Kirillov lived. Later, the detainee rented a carsharing car, in which he installed a camera to monitor the place. It is specified that the video was broadcast to the organizers of the terrorist attack in Dnipro. The device detonated when the servicemen came out of the entranceway.

"For the commission of the murder of a Russian serviceman to the citizen of Uzbekistan by the Ukrainian security services was promised a reward of $100 thousand and departure for residence in one of the countries of the European Union", - specified in the Department.

The detainee may face punishment up to life imprisonment.

"Employees of the special services of Ukraine, involved in the organization of the terrorist attack, will be tracked down and will be punished with deserved punishment," the FSB concluded.

Russian Interior Ministry spokeswoman Irina Volk added that the foreign citizen was detained in the village of Chernoye, Balashikha district, Moscow region, and handed over to the investigative authorities.

The Investigative Committee also noted that investigative actions are being carried out with the detainee.

Chief of the RKhBZ troops Kirillov was killed in an explosion in Moscow. What is known

Igor Kirillov and his assistant were killed on the morning of December 17 as a result of detonation of an explosive device planted in a scooter, standing near the entrance. The explosion occurred near a seven-story apartment building on Ryazansky Avenue in Moscow. A criminal case of murder, terrorist act and illegal arms trafficking (Article 105, Article 205 and Article 222 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) was opened over the incident.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova noted that Igor Kirillov had been systematically exposing Western crimes for many years, worked fearlessly and never hid behind the backs of others. In turn, Rodion Miroshnik, ambassador-at-large of the Russian Foreign Ministry for Ukraine's crimes, said that the evidence cited by the general was threatening and painful for Russia's adversaries.

Kostroma Region Governor Sergei Sitnikov said Kirillov had warned that he was being hunted. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller later said the US had nothing to do with the terrorist attack in Moscow that killed servicemen. Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder also said that the U.S. was not involved in the attack and did not contribute to it in any way.