Head of Russia’s radioactive, chemical and biological defense forces killed by bomb in Moscow

Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, the chief of Russia's radioactive, chemical and biological defense forces, and his aide were killed in an explosion in Moscow on Tuesday morning, Russia’s Investigative Committee said.

The blast occurred around 6 a.m. local time as the two men were leaving a residential building on Ryazansky Prospekt, according to Russian media reports. The explosive device was reportedly either attached to or embedded in a scooter near the building’s entrance. Emergency services estimated its power at approximately 200 grams of TNT equivalent.

Kirillov had been a prominent figure since 2023, delivering briefings for the Russian Defense Ministry in which he accused the United States of conducting “military-biological activities” in Ukraine.

The Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case, and Moscow’s Prosecutor’s Office said it is overseeing the investigation.