Camera staging: General Kirillov's killer was identified using billing software
The suspect in the murder of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov and his assistant was identified by billing and video surveillance camera system, a source told Izvestia, - the use of these methods made it possible to find him in less than a day. The FSB reported about the arrest of the likely perpetrator of the terrorist attack in the morning of December 18. He turned out to be a citizen of Uzbekistan and told law enforcement agencies that his actions were supervised by the Ukrainian security services. For the murder he was promised $100 thousand and asylum in one of the EU countries. The explosive device was detonated by sending a signal to a smartphone, and the surveillance of the entrance, where Igor Kirillov lived, was conducted from a camera installed on a specially parked nearby carsharing car, the FSB said.
The first suspect in the murder of Igor Kirillov
Law enforcement agencies have detained the first suspect in the murder of Igor Kirillov, head of the Radiation, Chemical and Biological Defense Troops of the Russian Armed Forces, and his assistant Major Ilya Polikarpov. He turned out to be a citizen of Uzbekistan born in 1995, the Federal Security Service reported on December 18. The operation was carried out in the village of Chernoye, Balashikha district, Moscow Region.
The official representative of the Russian Interior Ministry Irina Volk confirmed the detention of the suspect.
- Colleagues have identified the suspect in the terrorist attack on December 17 on Ryazansky Avenue in less than 24 hours," she said. - He has been detained and handed over to the investigative authorities.
The suspect in the murder of Igor Kirillov
The terrorist attack occurred on the morning of December 17: an improvised explosive device went off early in the morning, when the lieutenant general and his assistant came out of the entrance of an apartment building.
The perpetrator of the terrorist attack said he had been recruited by Ukrainian special services, the FSB said.
"On their assignment, he arrived in Moscow, received a high-power improvised explosive device and placed it on an electric scooter, which he parked near the entrance of Igor Kirillov's house," the FSB said in a statement. - To monitor the address of the serviceman's residence, he rented a carshare car, installed a wi-fi video camera in it, the footage from which was broadcast to the organizers in online mode in the city of Dnipro (Dnipropetrovsk)".
- I came to Moscow on the assignment of the Ukrainian security services. I was buying a scooter, and a few months later the stuff for the bomb arrived," the detainee said under interrogation.
Izvestia journalists managed to find the social networks of the bomber. Presumably, this is Akhmad Kurbanov. In the status - a pathos phrase: "It does not matter who is against, it is important who is near".
The bomber, following instructions from his handler, assembled the explosive device himself and installed it in a scooter he had bought earlier. Before committing the terrorist act, he followed his victim for a long time.
The carshare car rented by the suspect was parked right in front of the entrance where Kirillov's apartment was located.
As soon as the criminals saw the officer leave the entrance, they remotely detonated an improvised explosive device.
According to Izvestia's source, the scooter with explosives was parked in front of the house where Igor Kirillov lived about an hour before the attack - at 04:57 am.
Another source said that, according to preliminary data, the explosive used was foreign-made.
"The device was triggered by an explosion production retarder based on a mobile signal reception device," the source told the publication.
According to the FSB, for the murder of the Russian serviceman "a citizen of Uzbekistan was promised by the Ukrainian security services a reward of $100 thousand and a trip to live in one of the European Union countries."
Law enforcement agencies were calculating the suspect by billing, the source told Izvestia.
- The criminal called on messenger, reporting literally every step," he said.
Several criminal cases have been opened: on a terrorist act, murder, illegal storage of explosives and explosive devices and their illegal manufacture.
The detainee has been taken to an investigator and investigative actions are being carried out with him, including interrogation, during which his motives have been clarified, said Svetlana Petrenko, an official spokeswoman for Russia's Investigative Committee.
Official reaction to Igor Kirillov's death
Vladimir Putin deeply condolences over the deaths of Igor Kirillov and Ilya Polikarpov, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
- It is now obvious who are the customers and who are the organizers of this terrorist act. It is once again confirmed that the Kiev regime does not shy away from terrorist methods of work," Dmitry Peskov said. - We are fighting the customers, we are fighting this Nazi regime and we will continue the fight.
He did not answer the question whether law enforcement agencies have information about the involvement of third countries in the attack.
- There is an investigation underway, they are working very effectively," he said.
Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder said during the briefing that the U.S. was not involved in the terrorist attack.
- I can tell you, we had no prior knowledge of this operation. We do not support or facilitate this kind of activity," he added.
U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller also said the United States had nothing to do with the attack.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing that Igor Kirillov had hindered the West with his investigations into radiation, chemical and biological defense.
- For many years, he has systematically and reasonably exposed the criminal activities of the Anglo-Saxons and NATO in general in the area where they have made the world an arena for further manipulations: chemical weapons, biological security," she said.
How much is threatened to the perpetrators of the terrorist attack
The perpetrator of the terrorist attack on the totality of the committed crimes faces punishment up to life imprisonment, the FSB said in a statement.
"Employees of the special services of Ukraine, involved in the organization of the terrorist attack, will be tracked down and will be punished deservedly," the Federal Security Service said.
The accomplices of the crime are also likely to be given life sentences, believes Igor Ivlev, head of the Parole Institute law firm. In his opinion, their actions may also be qualified under the article on terrorist acts.
- If it is established that those involved are or belong to a criminal association, their actions will be additionally qualified under the article on the organization of a criminal association," he added. - If someone is recognized as an accomplice and prosecuted under the article on facilitation of terrorist activity, such a person faces a sentence of 12 to 20 years. And the attackers may not hope for parole.
Criminal defense lawyer Maxim Kalinov believes that the attacker had no chance to get away with it.
- Moscow is a city where the security system is well organized, including video cameras, facial recognition and other ways to fight crime," he added.
Even if the attacker had committed such a crime in a remote location, the law enforcement agencies would have identified him, the expert is sure.
