A Terror of Cowardice: Who Profited from the Murder of General Igor Kirillov
On the day of his death, Igor Kirillov, head of the Radiation, Chemical and Biological Defense Troops of the Russian Armed Forces, was to hold another briefing, Izvestiya has found out. At them, he regularly gave details of the investigation into the activities of US biolaboratories in Ukraine and disclosed information about a project to build a "dirty" nuclear bomb by official Kiev. Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev named the military and political leadership of Ukraine as the ones who ordered the assassination. The involvement of the Ukrainian security services in the attack will be the main version of the investigation, experts are sure. According to them, significant efforts of law enforcement agencies are now aimed at preventing the perpetrators of the crime from leaving Russia. The head of the Russian Chemical Defense Forces died on the morning of December 17 - an explosive device planted in a scooter went off when he was leaving the entrance of his house on Ryazansky Prospect.
Explosive device in a scooter
Anexplosive device planted in a scooter standing next to the entrance of a residential building on Ryazansky Avenue went off in the early morning of December 17, the Investigative Committee of Russia said. It happened exactly at the moment when Igor Kirillov, head of the Radiation, Chemical and Biological Defense Troops of the Russian Armed Forces, and his assistant came out of the entranceway.
- There was a strong explosion at six o'clock this morning. Everyone woke up, didn't realize what had happened, " eyewitness Yan Kolomenko told Izvestia.
During the examination of the scene of the incident items were found and seized, including fragments of the explosive device. On them and other material evidence will be appointed the necessary expertise. Witnesses are being questioned and other investigative actions are being carried out, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation said in its official Telegram channel.
Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia Alexander Bastrykin put the progress of the criminal case under control. The criminal case is being investigated on the grounds of crimes under Art. 105 ("Murder"), Art. 205 ("Terrorist act"), Art. 222.1 ("Illegal circulation of weapons and ammunition") and Art. 223.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Manufacturing of explosives").
Shortly after the explosion , news agencies, citing emergency services, reported that the explosive device's power was estimated at about 200 grams of TNT equivalent. Later, TASS quoted law enforcement agencies as saying that the bomb's power could have been more than 1 kg.
Experts interviewed by Izvestia, having studied the video from the scene of the terrorist attack, leaned towards the latter version.
- "If a directional mine had been used - a fragmentation mine of the American Claymore type - the explosive mass could have been in the neighborhood of 200 grams," Dmitry Kornev, editor of the Military Russia portal, explained to Izvestia. - But if the terrorists had used such a mine, its remains would have already been discovered. Since this information is not available, then, taking into account the damage, distance and location of the objects, with great probability we can say that the mass of the explosives could be up to a kilogram. First, the house was damaged. Secondly, the distance between the explosive point and the affected objects is about five meters. And the impact is not concussion, but lethal.
According to him, in all probability, the explosive device was detonated by radio channel - either it was a special radio transmitter and radio receiver, or a cell phone. The operator was watching the facility and the explosion was carried out on command.
- I would not rule out that the object was watched live," the expert said. - But since no one was found on the video footage, it is most likely that the object was watched through a surveillance camera. It could be any camera that sees this entrance and the neighborhood. And if it is a housing and utilities camera, it means it was hacked and accessed. This is technically possible and not very difficult. It could also be a camera on the scooter itself or in a carshare vehicle. Whoever used this car probably had access to this camera in advance.
Dmitry Kornev also did not rule out that there may have been an autonomous camera installed somewhere, which can be tied to a tree, installed on a neighboring house and work with it, being not in direct contact.
The efforts of law enforcement agencies are now aimed, among other things, at preventing the direct perpetrators of the terrorist attack from leaving Russian territory, a source close to the law enforcement agencies told Izvestia. The Izvestiya source does not doubt that this is the escape route envisioned for them, as was the case, for example, after the murder of Russian journalist Darya Dugina.
Who organized the attack on Igor Kirillov?
On the day of the assassination attempt, Igor Kirillov was supposed to hold his regular briefing, a source in the Defense Ministry told Izvestia. It is possible that he was going to make public new details of investigations related to the use of chemical weapons by the AFU or Kiev's attempts to create a "dirty" nuclear bomb, experts do not rule out. It was the work to disclose such facts that could have led to the assassination attempt on the general.
- Western countries tried to discredit his investigations into the use and development of biological and chemical weapons in Ukraine," Oleg Zheltonozhko, an expert in the field of chemical defense, told Izvestia.-But in all other countries of the world they were listened to because they provided a large amount of data, concrete facts, and uncovered interconnections. It should not be forgotten that the RCDZ troops are successfully involved in special operations. Under his leadership, the RCDZ troops worked on improving heavy flamethrower systems - the same "Tosochka". These are weapons whose use on the battlefield can be decisive.
Military expert Alexei Leonkov adheres to the same version.
- There have been many surprises related to chemical and biologically dangerous substances left by the AFU on the territories liberated by our army," he emphasized. - In one of the latest U.S. deliveries to the AFU, protective suits against chemical, biological and radiation contamination were again spotlighted. It is asked: "Why?" It is not excluded that a provocation with the use of such weapons or a "dirty" bomb is being prepared. Kirillov would surely answer this question at the next briefing.
According to Leonkov, Igor Kirillov's public statements had a serious evidentiary basis, and the terrorist attack was probably carried out to decapitate commissions and working groups that were engaged in such investigations.
Assessments of the terrorist attack
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, called Igor Kirillov a true patriot of Russia, selflessly devoted to duty and oath.
"Attempts to intimidate our people, to stop the advance of the Russian army, to sow fear are doomed," Medvedev wrote in his Telegram channel and expressed condolences over the general's death.
Later the same day at a meeting dedicated to the conclusion of state contracts in the defense industry for 2025, he noted that the investigation into the attack had only just begun, but the enemies themselves had published information about their involvement.
- It is necessary to find Kirillov's killers in the Russian Federation and destroy the customers in Kiev, they are the military-political leadership of Ukraine," the deputy chairman of the Security Council said.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Igor Kirillov "for many years systematically, with facts on his hands, exposed the crimes of the Anglo-Saxons: NATO provocations with chemical weapons in Syria, Britain's manipulation of banned chemicals and provocations in Salisbury and Amesbury, deadly activities of U.S. bio-laboratories in Ukraine and much more."
- The death of General Igor Anatolievich Kirillov is a huge, irreplaceable loss. He was a true Russian officer, infinitely devoted to the Motherland and the cause he served," Mikhail Kovalchuk, President of the Kurchatov Institute, told Izvestia Mikhail Kovalchuk. - Igor Anatolievich was a deeply educated person, a specialist and an extremely interesting interlocutor. He was interested in everything - from the global organization of the world to specific problems of chemical analysis. And he was very well versed in all these diverse issues. Besides being a brilliant professional, he was a very positive, bright person.
"The work of Ukrainian special services".
Igor Kirillov was one of the most qualified military specialists in his field, Oleg Zheltonozhko said.
- Such a demonstrative action requires a tough response," he said. - What has happened is further proof that it is pointless to negotiate with the gangs sitting in power in Kyiv. And they should be dealt with accordingly: without politeness and security guarantees.
Military expert Viktor Litovkin believes that our outstanding designers and commanders are being hunted.
- Just recently, cocktails were thrown at the house of the chief engineer of a Russian design bureau," he said. - We need to improve the security of such people and increase vigilance. Drones fly to facilities in cities far from the border not because they come from Ukraine, but because someone launches them from Russian territory. It is not known how many people have been recruited by the Main Intelligence Directorate or the Security Service of Ukraine. Now there are many refugees from Ukraine, we need to keep an eye on these people, but we do not do it. Society is somehow complacent about what is happening. And vigilance should be increased.
In the State Duma on December 17 honored the memory of Igor Kirillov with a minute of silence. After that, MP Nikolai Kolomeitsev raised the issue of the safety of military leaders and designers.
Military expert Vladislav Shurygin believes that Ukraine should be hit for terrorist attacks on Russian citizens in the same way as for the use of Western missiles on our territory.
- For the murder of General Kirillov, we should finally plunge Ukraine into darkness and launch a missile strike on the remaining power generating facilities. And at the same time to work "Oreshnik" on Bankova," the expert said.
High-profile assassination attempts on Russian law enforcers
In December 2024, Sergei Evsyukov, the ex-head of the Yelenovo colony in the DNR, was blown up in his car in Donetsk. The published footage shows an unknown man placing explosives under the bottom of the car. Then the moment is captured as Evsyukov and his wife get into the cabin, after which an explosion is heard. Evsyukov was killed, his wife was injured. The law enforcers promptly detained the suspect - he was charged with murder in a generally dangerous way. He turned out to be a Russian citizen. He received assignments from a handler from the Ukrainian military intelligence.
In November 2024, the FSB detained two Crimean residents - Valeriy Trankovskiy and a woman - who, on the instructions of the SBU, blew up a car in Sevastopol, which killed a naval officer. Both gave confessions.
Before that, the head of the security pass group of the Zaporizhzhya NPP security service Andriy Korotky died as a result of a car bombing. The main Directorate of intelligence of the Ministry of defense of Ukraine admitted that blew up the car of the former Chairman of the Council of deputies of the city of Energodar.
In July 2024, the car of a career officer of the Russian army was blown up in the yard of his house in Moscow. The IED was placed on the bottom, in the driver's area. It went off when the victim turned on the ignition. After the detonation, the victim, Russian Armed Forces officer Andrei T., bandaged himself up, despite having his feet blown off by the homemade bomb. His wife was hit in the face by shrapnel.
Igor Kirillov was born on July 13, 1970 in Kostroma. He graduated from the Kostroma Higher Military Command School of Chemical Defense, the Marshal Timoshenko Military Academy of Radiation, Chemical and Biological Defense, as well as courses at the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
Vladimir Matveev, Bogdan Stepovoy, Yana Shturma, Maria Nedyuk worked on the material.
