Russian General Igor Kirillov Killed in Moscow Blast

Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, head of Russia's Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Protection Forces, was killed in an explosion in Moscow, which also claimed the life of his assistant. The incident occurred when an explosive device hidden in a scooter detonated as Kirillov was exiting a residential building on Ryazansky Prospekt. The Russian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case to investigate the attack, and forensic experts are on the scene gathering evidence. Kirillov had recently been charged in absentia by Ukraine’s Security Service for allegedly using banned chemical weapons during the ongoing conflict. He was sanctioned by the UK in October for his role in deploying chemical weapons in Ukraine. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova praised Kirillov for exposing alleged Western wrongdoing, particularly in relation to NATO's actions in Syria and Ukraine.