Top Russian general killed in Moscow blast

Aftermath of explosion in Moscow that killed Russian Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov

Aftermath of explosion in Moscow that killed Kirillov

(Image credit: Sefa Karacan / Anadolu via Getty Images)

published 17 December 2024

What happened

A remote-triggered bomb hidden in an electric scooter killed Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, the head of Russia's Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defense Forces, outside an apartment in Moscow early Monday, Russia's Investigative Committee said. Kirillov's assistant was also killed in the blast, about 4 miles from the Kremlin.

Ukraine's SBU security service charged Kirillov in absentia Monday with the "mass use of banned chemical weapons" on Ukrainian troops. The SBU alleged that, under Kirillov's leadership, Russia had used chemical weapons more than 4,800 times since February 2022. The U.S. and Britain have also accused Russia of using chemical weapons in Ukraine, notably the World War I–era toxic choking agent chloropicrin, and Kirillov had been under U.K. sanctions since October. Russia has denied using chemical weapons.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.