On Dec. 17th, in Moscow, Russia, a scooter exploded on Ryanzansky Prospekt. The explosion was spotted across an apartment building 7km from the Kremlin. The Russian Investigations Agency (RIA) later identified two bodies caught within the scooter’s blast zone.
One of them was Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, the official responsible for the country’s nuclear, chemical, and biological weapon development. His assistant, Iiya Polikarpov, died by his side. After a day of searching, the Federal Security Service of Russia (FSB) captured the suspect, a 29-year-old Uzbekistani male.
Who Targeted Igor Kirillov?
The person who planted the explosive on the scooter is Ahkmad Kurbanov. According to the FSB, he confirmed he was sent on a paid assassination job by Ukraine’s Intelligence Service (SZRU). This is supported by a recorded confession from the FSB that is openly shared with all news networks. The Uzbekistan man shared how long the assassination was planned.
“I was offered $100,000 and a European passport by Ukraine’s Secret Service. I arrived, bought a scooter, and waited a few months for the bomb materials to be delivered. Then we got everything and I placed the scooter near Lt. Gen. Kirillov’s house. And when he came out of the house, I pressed the button.”
ABC Australia revealed footage from a stranger’s backseat camera with their vehicle parked across the street. Kirillov and Polikarpov exited his apartment building. The bomb is then triggered and destroys what’s surrounding it, including the vehicle’s back window. CNN London highlighted where the suspect’s scooter is located during their footage replay. The placement matched his confession when news editors zoomed at Kirillov’s home entrance. His scooter was parked a few feet away and exploded when Kirillov followed behind Polikarpov.
A woman nearby Ryanzansky Prospekt told CNN London’s partner, Reuters what she witnessed. She noticed someone parked their scooter right across the door. At the time, the woman believed someone was trying to reach their destination by foot.
Reason for Kirillov’s Assassination
Since 2022, Igor Kirillov has been spreading disinformation about the US and Ukraine developing chemical weapons when the Russian-Ukraine War began. The main news source, TASS, was used to undermine Russia’s population as he was one of the most feared lieutenants. He told two statements of both countries’ interests on Feb. 19th and July 8th during the year.
The first attack claimed the US was testing capsaicin (spice) ammunition in Afghanistan back in 2021. Kirillov informed Russia that the chemical will be used in VK-S rifles, 120-mm mines, 155-mm artillery, and 120-mm tank rounds. Then tried to convince the population that the US had funded 30 secret bioweapon labs for Ukraine. Kirillov stated the two countries were cultivating pathogens to create a synthetic disease to infect enemy soldiers.
In a March 2022 BBC Reality Check, these accusations were dismissed for none of the labs are private. The European Union and World Health Organization (WHO) corrected the public that they were health research labs. The US Embassy shared this information on its website, making sure to spread awareness about Russia’s media propaganda. The US is also under oath of the Biological Threat Reduction Program since the Cold War. It ensures Americans assist countries affected by the Soviet Union in removing remaining bioweapons including Ukraine.
Kirillov’s 2nd attempt was on July 8th when the Russian military infiltrated Adiivka. When they discovered a Ukrainian lab, the lieutenant claimed it was a chemical lab. He told the citizens that their military’s forensics team found traces of sodium cyanide and sulfuric acid. These two compounds are known to have high amounts of poison. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists quickly reminded the world about the Bio-Threat Reduction Program. And that the building Russian troops infiltrated was a health lab.
Kirillov continued to spread disinformation for the past two years. The European Union and the US grew wary of his method during the war. Ukraine is used as a scapegoat to prevent knowledge of Russian chemical warfare. His scare tactics prepared Russian citizens to stay alert of terrorists. The US became the leading example of using sanctions to lower the value of the ruble. Britain followed behind on Oct. 24th, dropping its value to less than a penny. With the lieutenant’s assassination, the country fears another attack on the homefront.
Kirillov’s Last Disinformation Spread
Igor Kirillov sent his final media attack on Ukrainian President Voldomyr Zelensky. In 2023, these two countries sent out drones to fight on the battlefield. Later in August 2024, Russian drones were seen to be armed with illegal chemical substances contained in grenades. Nov. 10th dated Ukraine’s largest drone fleet towards their enemy’s territory. They scattered around Moscow, Bryansk, Tula, Kaluga, and Kursk.
Putin immediately sent Russian troops to neutralize the threat, destroying 84 drones. The SZRB reported that their drones have successfully struck a chemical plant in Tula. In response, he ordered his military to launch an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) at Dnipro on Nov. 21st. Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh confirmed that it was modeled after a Russian RS-26 Ruzbeh. This missile violated the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty for its intense damage at ranges below 5,500 km.
After 7 days, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov used TASS to inform Russian citizens that their army had developed a non-nuclear hypersonic missile called Orshenik. Lt. Gen. Kirillov followed Peskov and Putin’s lead to relay their message to the public. Due to the Ukraine drones invading Russia, Kirillov manipulated the information to sound as if they were equipped with chemical weapons. Zelensky told ABC News, “Putin is terrified. [He] is doing whatever to prevent his neighbor from breaking free from his grasp.”
The Days After Kirillov’s Death
Trump-Putin Meeting On Hold For US Finances
Since Kurbanov’s capture, the Russian-Ukraine War has rapidly increased threats and tension within alliances. On Dec. 17th, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) shared their worries about US President Joe Biden returning the country’s leadership to Donald Trump. Trump is currently preparing for his 2nd term in office and Putin’s latest statement to the press made them uneasy. “If we ever have a meeting with the President-elect,” the Russian President told the press, “we have a lot of catching up to do. Hopefully, there are negotiations and compromises in the works.”
According to Putin himself, Trump has not spoken to him since his presidency. While Putin waits for meeting day, the 2025 US President will be facing financial issues at home. Between Dec. 19th and 20th, he and the Republican party pushed for the Government Funding Deal. However, about 18% of them voted “No” for it will add $36 trillion to the US National Debt. Even if the bill managed to pass, the majority of the Senate is controlled by Democrats. At this time, there is no confirmation about a government shutdown.
The Latest Attacks in the Russia-Ukraine War
Meanwhile, from Dec. 18th to 20th, Ukraine and Russia are under a ‘missile duel’ Putin declared. Ukraine had its troops prepared with 13 missiles and 84 drones. The fleet was sent out to Rostov Oblast, flying towards the Kamensky chemical plant. This location was mainly producing rocket fuel, but also known to create other chemical compounds. Kamensky caught fire with firefighters quickly rushing into action to stop its spread.
Russia’s military made blogs to share social media and the press their assumptions of their enemy using ATACMS missiles. They are known for their long-range with an advanced homing positioning system. Russia then launched a missile at Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv. The attack resulted in 13 people wounded and one dead. At this time, the country received a mysterious cyberattack and is under the assumption of a Russian spy. More details will be shared once Ukraine gives confirmation.
