Moscow bombing suspect offered £79,000 by Ukraine to kill general, Russian officials say

Image of the Uzbek suspect and General Igor Kirillov. Credit: CNN/ AP

An Uzbek citizen detained over the killing of a senior general in Moscow was offered $100,000 (£79,000) for the attack by Ukraine, Russia's intelligence agency said on Wednesday.

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said the suspect, who was promised cash and permission to move to an EU country in exchange for killing Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, now faces "a sentence of up to life imprisonment".

The suspect was not named but was described as an Uzbek citizen, who was born in 1995 and was recruited by Ukrainian intelligence services.

Kirillov, the chief of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops, was killed outside a block of flats some 7km (4 miles) southeast of the Kremlin on Tuesday.

The scooter, where the bomb is believed to have been placed. Credit: AP

The FSB claimed Ukraine instructed the suspect to travel to Moscow, collect a homemade explosive device, and place it on an electric scooter, which he then parked outside the entrance to Kirillov's flat.

The suspect then reportedly rented a car to monitor the location and set up a camera that live-streamed footage of the scene to his handlers in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro.

When Kirillov was seen leaving the building, the suspect detonated the bomb remotely.

The bomb is believed to have had the power equivalent to roughly 300g of TNT, Russian state news agency Tass reported.

A CNN journalist reported the explosion was so powerful it shattered windows in a building across the road.

Investigators work at the place where Lt. General Igor Kirillov was killed by an explosive device planted close to block of flats in Moscow. Credit: AP

Ukraine claimed hours later that it was behind the bomb attack that killed Kirillov.

A source with knowledge of the operation told ITV News' US partner CNN: “Kirillov was a war criminal and an absolutely legitimate target, as he gave orders to use banned chemical substances against the Ukrainian military.

“Such an inglorious end awaits all those who kill Ukrainians. Retribution for war crimes is inevitable.”

On Tuesday, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia’s Security Council chaired by President Vladimir Putin, vowed that Kyiv "will face inevitable retribution" for the killing.

Speaking about Ukraine, Medvedev told RIA Novosti: "Realising the inevitability of its military defeat, it launches cowardly and despicable strikes in peaceful cities."

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Tuesday that the UK must "stand with the Ukraine," but would not be drawn into directly supporting Kirillov's killing.

"We must stand with Ukraine. I think that is a developing situation. But this morning’s discussion was very clear about the strategic need for Nato to stand, as we do, with Ukraine in this critical period.” he said.

"The collective view is very clear, we must put Ukraine in the strongest possible position, that means we have got to make sure they have got the capability they need, the training they need, the funding that they need."

Ukraine’s Security Services, the SBU, charged Kirillov on December 16 with the use of banned chemical weapons during Russia’s war with Ukraine.

Russia’s radioactive, chemical and biological defence troops, known as RKhBZ, are special forces who operate under conditions of radioactive, chemical and biological contamination.

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