As head of Russia's radiation, chemical and biological defense troops, Igor Kirillov - who lost his life in an explosion in Moscow - was accused by the West of overseeing the use of chemical weapons on the battlefield in Ukraine.
Ukraine's SBU security service said it was behind the explosion, which it described as a special operation against a legitimate target.
Kirillov and an aide were killed by explosives placed on an electric scooter, according to Russian officials, which blew up as he was leaving the building where he lived on Ryazansky Prospekt in southeast Moscow.
He had become notorious for his outlandish briefings to the Russian defense ministry, which prompted the UK Foreign Office to label him "a key spokesman for Kremlin disinformation."
Kirilov also stands behind Russian accusations against the US that Ukraine has 45 laboratories for developing biological weapons in countries surrounding Russia, including Ukraine. He also made public documents that Moscow claims were seized by Russian special forces in one of the Ukrainian laboratories.
Kirilov also accused Ukraine of preparing a nuclear bomb, Komsomolskaya Pravda writes, an explosive device containing radioactive material, not a nuclear warhead.
The slain general also participated in the development of new Russian weapons systems with so-called "volumetric explosive munitions," which are used in Ukraine today.
The assassination of the "brain" of Russian chemical weapons, Moscow reacts harshly, accusations against the West
Russian officials have accused the West of orchestrating the assassination of General Kirillov, emphasizing its role in “uncovering the crimes of the Anglo-Saxons.” The chairman of the State Duma’s Defense Committee, Andrei Kartapolov, has promised that those responsible for organizing and carrying out the assassination will be found and punished, “regardless of who they are and where they may be.”
In a post on Telegram, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote that Kirillov “spent many years systematically exposing the crimes of the Anglo-Saxons.” State Duma deputy and retired army general Andrei Gurulyov emphasized that Kirillov was a person who “understood and tracked all the criminal activity of the US and its satellites,” including biolabs and the proliferation of chemical and biological weapons.
Gurulyov called for a “harsh response” to the murder, suggesting “strikes against Anglo-Saxon officials.”
The United Kingdom reportedly sanctioned Kirillov in October, calling him “a key spokesman for Kremlin disinformation,” and accusing him of spreading lies to cover up Russia’s dangerous actions. Yesterday, he was accused by Ukrainian authorities of overseeing the use of chemical weapons in Ukraine.