Defense ministry expresses condolences on Russian general’s assassination

December 17, Pozirk. The Belarusian defense ministry has expressed condolences in connection with the murder of Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, chief of Russia’s chemical protection forces.

It offered its condolences to Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, as well as the general’s family and friends, describing the killing as a “tragedy” and “terrorist attack.”

Kirillov and his assistant Ilya Polikarpov were killed this morning in a scooter blast Moscow. The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) claimed responsibility, describing Kirillov as a “legitimate target.”

“Kirillov was a war criminal and an absolutely legitimate target, since he gave orders to use prohibited chemical weapons against Ukrainian troops. This inglorious end awaits anyone who kills Ukrainians. Retribution for war crimes is inevitable,” the SBU source said.

Kirillov served as chief of Russia’s Radiological, Biological and Chemical Protection Forces since 2017. Previously, he claimed that biological weapons were being developed in Ukraine with the assistance of the United States.

He also attributed an increase in bird flu cases in Russia to the migration of infected birds from Ukraine.

The general was under international sanctions in connection with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Just yesterday, Ukraine charged him with a war crime.

The UK Foreign Office said the force he commanded had deployed “barbaric chemical weapons in Ukraine”, highlighting “multiple reports of the use of the toxic choking agent chloropicrin,” BBC reported.