Russian services have detained a citizen of Uzbekistan who allegedly confessed to planting a bomb that caused the death of Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, reported Polish news outlet Interia, citing the findings of an investigative commission. The man allegedly testified that he received an order to place the explosive device in the scooter the day before the attack on the orders of Ukrainian intelligence.
The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation issued a statement on Wednesday in which it said that a citizen of Uzbekistan had been detained in connection with the investigation into the assassination attempt on General Igor Kirillov. The man was interrogated and was expected to testify that he had come to Moscow specifically to plant an explosive device.
After reaching the Russian capital, the suspect was allegedly given a makeshift bomb and a device necessary to detonate it.
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has published footage of the interrogation of an Uzbek citizen, who perpetrated the terrorist attack that killed General Kirillov.
"I came to Moscow on a mission for the Ukrainian special services. I arrived, bought a scooter and a few… pic.twitter.com/4caqJvFle4
— Dagny Taggart (@DagnyTaggart963) December 18, 2024According to the investigative group document, the Uzbek placed a charge in an electric scooter parked in front of Igor Kirillov’s apartment building. He then allegedly installed a camera inside a rented car located near the site of the attack.
The commission also revealed that the suspect is 29 years old and for his cooperation with the Ukrainian security services he was supposed to receive $100,000 and promises of residence in a Western European country.
The TASS news agency published a recording of the man speaking on camera about his responsibility, repeating the above information.
Investigators say they are continuing to investigate the case and are in the process of identifying more people involved in the soldier’s murder. The Russian daily Kommersant reported that Kremlin services had detained one more person, which was confirmed by the Russian Interior Ministry. Reuters noted, however, that it was unable to independently confirm these reports.
The assassination attempt on General Igor Kirillov, commander of the Chemical Defense of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, took place on Tuesday morning on Prospekt Ryazansky in Moscow, where Kirillov had an apartment. In addition to him, his assistant Ilya Polikarpov was also killed.
The day before the assassination, Ukraine accused the general of “massive use of chemical weapons” during the ongoing war. The report pointed to nearly 5,000 such cases, with toxic substances allegedly hidden in combat drones and grenades.
