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Igor Anatolyevich Kirillov
Kirillov in 2019
Native name	Игорь Анатольевич Кириллов
Born	(1970-07-13)13 July 1970 Kostroma, Russian SFSR, USSR
Died	17 December 2024(2024-12-17) (aged 54) Moscow, Russia
Cause of death	Assassinated by bombing
Allegiance	Russia
Service / branch	Russian Ground Forces
Rank	Lieutenant general
Commands	Russian NBC Protection Troops
Awards	Hero of Labour of the Russian Federation Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" Order of Military Merit Medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" Medal "For Military Valour" Medal "For Strengthening of Brotherhood in Arms" Medal "For Distinguished Military Service" Medal "For Participation in Victory Day Military Parade" Medal "Participant of the military operation in Syria"
Alma mater	NBC Protection Military Academy

Igor Anatolyevich Kirillov (Russian: Игорь Анатольевич Кириллов; 13 July 1970 – 17 December 2024) was a Russian lieutenant general. He was the head of the Chemical, Biological, and Nuclear defense troops of the Russian Armed Forces until his assassination in 2024 by Ukrainian security forces. Kirillov was the highest-ranking Russian military official to be killed outside the front lines since Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Kirillov had facilitated the use of Chloropicrin in Ukraine, a war crime per the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Biography

Kirillov was born on 13 July 1970, in the city of Kostroma, RSFSR.

He was in the Armed Forces of the USSR from 1987. In 1991, he graduated with honours from the Kostroma Higher Military Command School of Chemical Defense. From 1991 to 1994, he served as a platoon commander in the Western Group of Forces. After the latter left Germany, he served in the Moscow Military District. From 1995, he held positions successively from company commander to brigade commander of a separate radiation, chemical and biological protection brigade.

From 2005 to 2007, he studied at the NBC Protection Military Academy.

From 2009, he served in various positions in the Office of the Chief of the Russian NBC Protection Troops of the Russian Armed Forces.

In September 2014, Kirillov was appointed head of the Timoshenko NBC Protection Military Academy.

In April 2017, Kirillov became the head of the NBC Protection Troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. He took part in the creation and adoption of the new heavy flamethrower system TOS-2 "Tosochka".

Russian invasion of Ukraine

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, for direct participation in military actions against a sovereign state, Kirillov was added to the international sanctions list. On 23 February 2022, he was added to Canada's sanctions list. On 19 October 2022, he was added to the sanctions list of Ukraine. He was also sanctioned by the United Kingdom on 8 October 2024.

According to the Security Service of Ukraine, since February 2022 there have been 4,800 cases of deployment of chemical weapons by Russia in the invasion of Ukraine. Kirillov appeared regularly on Russian television during the war, where he accused the US of helping Ukraine build secret laboratories for biological weapons and claimed Ukraine was developing a dirty bomb. There is no evidence for any of these claims.

According to the U.S. Department of State, Russia used chloropicrin under Kirillov's auspices, a choking agent widely used in World War I, as well as tear gas on the battlefield. The chemical weapons deployed included combat grenades equipped with the irritant chemical agents CS and CN, which are banned in warfare under the Chemical Weapons Convention.

On 16 December 2024, Ukraine charged Kirillov in absentia for using banned chemical weapons during the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Assassination

Kirillov was killed in an explosion in Moscow on 17 December 2024 at approximately 6:12 AM. He died along with an assistant as they were leaving a residential complex along the Ryazansky Prospekt area. The blast was caused by detonation of an explosive device planted on an electric scooter, which was powerful enough to shatter windows in a building across the street. According to Russian state media, the explosive device contained approximately the same amount of explosives as those used in the 2010 Moscow Metro bombings that killed 40 people and injured 80. Authorities blamed his death on the detonation of an explosive device concealed in an e-scooter. The Security Service of Ukraine claimed responsibility for the assassination.

According to Ukrainian officials, over 2,000 troops were hospitalized and three died as a result of chemical weapons attacks under Kirillov's command. The explosive device contained approximately 300g of TNT equivalent. A source in the Security Service of Ukraine stated that Kirillov "was a war criminal and a perfectly legitimate target" and warned that "such a disgraceful end awaits all those who kill Ukrainians."

Following the assassination, former president Dmitry Medvedev, who serves as deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, pledged "inevitable retaliation" against Ukraine's military and political leadership. Other Russian officials paid tribute to Kirillov following his death. Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said Kirillov "worked fearlessly" and "did not hide behind backs." Andrey Kartapolov, chairman of the Defense Committee of the State Duma, called him a "dignified Russian general" and "leader of his organization who was looked up to."

See also

• List of Russian generals killed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine

References

1. ^ Troianovski, Anton; Méheut, Constant (17 December 2024). "Who Was Gen. Igor Kirillov, the Russian General Assassinated in Moscow?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 17 December 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
2. ^ Timsit, Annabelle; Abbakumova, Natalia; Stern, David L. (17 December 2024). "Who is Igor Kirillov, the Russian nuclear defense chief killed in Moscow?". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 17 December 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
3. "В Москве убит генерал Игорь Кириллов. Главное" [General Igor Kirillov was killed in Moscow]. www.rbc.ru (in Russian). 17 December 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
4. Glenn, Mike (17 December 2024). "Ukraine claims it killed a top Russian WMD general with a bomb in Moscow". The Washington Times. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
5. "Igor Kirillov in-charge of nuclear protection forces killed in Moscow blast, Ukraine claims responsibility". The Times of India. 17 December 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
6. Кириллов Игорь. "Военная академия РХБЗ — главный учебно-методический центр войсковой радиационной, химической и биологической защиты — Игорь Кириллов — Военный совет — Эхо Москвы, 11.03.2017" [The Military Academy of the RCBZ is the main educational and methodological center for military radiation, chemical and biological defense - Igor Kirillov - Military Council - Echo Moscow, 03/11/2017]. Эхо Москвы (Echo Moscow) (in Russian). Archived from the original on 3 September 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
7. "Начальником войск РХБ-защиты стал генерал-майор Игорь Кириллов" [Major General Igor Kirillov has become the Chief of the NBC Defense Troops]. ТАСС. Archived from the original on 3 September 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
8. "Кострома. Кириллов И.А. выступил с лекцией на тему: "Современное состояние и перспективы развития войск РХБ защиты Вооруженных Сил Российской Федерации"" [Kostroma. Kirillov I.A. gave a lecture on the topic: "The current state and development prospects of the NBC defense troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation".]. www.moovso.ru. Archived from the original on 3 September 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
9. "Новости - Фонд "ОФИЦЕРСКОЕ БРАТСТВО" поздравил генерал-лейтенанта Игоря Кириллова с юбилеем" [News - The "OFFICERS' BROTHERHOOD" Foundation congratulated Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov on his anniversary]. www.fondob.ru. Archived from the original on 3 September 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
10. "Игорь Кириллов: "Формула защиты от триады угроз"" [Igor Kirillov: "Formula for protection against a triad of threats"]. ИА «Оружие России». Archived from the original on 3 September 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
11. "ТОС-2 Тосочка. Описание. Назначение. ТТХ. Фото. Видео" [TOS-2 Tosochka. Description. Purpose. TTX. Photo. Video.]. Оружие | Военная техника | Армия (in Russian). 24 March 2021. Archived from the original on 4 September 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
12. ^ "КИРИЛЛОВ Игорь Анатольевич - биография, досье, активы | Война и санкции" [KIRILLOV Igor Anatolyevich - biography, dossier, assets | War and sanctions]. sanctions.nazk.gov.ua (in Russian). Archived from the original on 19 June 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
13. "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №726/2022 Про рішення Ради національної безпеки і оборони України від 19 жовтня 2022 року «Про застосування та внесення змін до персональних спеціальних економічних та інших обмежувальних заходів (санкцій)»" [DECREE OF THE PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE No. 726/2022 About the decision for the sake of national security and defense of Ukraine on June 19, 2022 "On the establishment and introduction of changes to personal special economic and other intermediate entry (sanctions)"]. Archived from the original on 22 October 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
14. "UK slaps sanctions on Russian forces for chemical weapons use in Ukraine". The Kyiv Independent. 8 October 2024. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
15. ^ "Russischer General bei Explosion in Moskau getötet" [Russian general killed in explosion in Moscow]. tagesschau.de (in German). Retrieved 17 December 2024.
16. "Ukrainische Biowaffen? Keine Belege für Russlands Vorwürfe" [Ukrainian bioweapons? No evidence for Russia's allegations]. dw.com (in German). 3 May 2022. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
17. ^ "The killing of a Russian general shows Ukraine's spies remain lethal". The Economist. 17 December 2024. Archived from the original on 17 December 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
18. Boldizsar Gyori (16 December 2024). "Ukraine charges Russian general over use of banned chemical weapons". The Kyiv Independent. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
19. Pjotr Sauer (17 December 2024). "Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov: Russian general killed in Moscow explosion". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
20. "Chief of Russian nuclear protection forces killed in Moscow bomb blast". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
21. "Igor Kirillov: Russian general killed in Moscow explosion". BBC News. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
22. "Igor Kirillov: Russian general in charge of nuclear troops killed by blast in Moscow". Sky News. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
23. "Russian general sanctioned over chemical weapon use in Ukraine killed in Moscow blast". The Guardian. 17 December 2024. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
24. "Key Russian general killed in Moscow bomb blast claimed by Ukraine". CNN. 17 December 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2024.

• 1970 births
• 2024 deaths
• 20th-century Russian military personnel
• People from Kostroma
• Assassinated military personnel
• Assassinated Russian people
• Deaths by improvised explosive device
• Fugitives wanted by Ukraine
• NBC Protection Military Academy alumni
• People indicted for war crimes
• Recipients of the Medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 2nd class
• Recipients of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 3rd class
• Recipients of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 4th class
• Recipients of the Order of Military Merit (Russia)
• Russian individuals subject to United Kingdom sanctions
• Russian lieutenant generals
• Russian military personnel killed in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
• Recipients of the Medal "Participant of the military operation in Syria"