A senior Russian general, Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, was killed on Tuesday when a bomb hidden in a scooter exploded outside his apartment building in Moscow. The attack comes just one day after Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) filed criminal charges against him.

Kirillov, 54, was the chief of Russia’s nuclear, biological, and chemical protection forces and was under sanctions from multiple countries, including the U.K. and Canada, for his role in Russia’s war in Ukraine. He was accused by Ukraine of overseeing the use of banned chemical weapons.

According to an unnamed Ukrainian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the SBU orchestrated the attack. The official described Kirillov as a “war criminal and an entirely legitimate target.”

Kirillov and his assistant were killed as they left for work. Russian state media reported that the bomb was remotely triggered. Footage provided by the SBU reportedly shows two men exiting a building moments before the blast. Images from the scene revealed shattered windows and scorched brickwork.

The SBU has accused Russia of using chemical weapons more than 4,800 times since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The U.S. State Department also reported in May 2024 that Russia deployed chloropicrin, a toxic gas used in World War I, against Ukrainian forces. Russia has denied the allegations and, in turn, accused Ukraine of using toxic agents.

In response to Kirillov’s death, Russia’s top investigative agency launched a terrorism probe, and Moscow officials vowed retaliation. Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, claimed the attack was a distraction from Ukraine’s military struggles and warned of “inevitable retribution” for Ukraine’s leadership.

The killing highlights a growing pattern of targeted assassinations since Russia’s invasion. Notable incidents include the 2022 car bombing that killed Darya Dugina, the daughter of Kremlin-linked ideologue Alexander Dugin, and the 2023 explosion that killed military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky.

Kirillov, who had held his position since 2017, was known for accusing Ukraine of planning chemical and radioactive attacks—claims dismissed by Kyiv and its Western allies as propaganda.

The attack underscores escalating covert operations as Russia advances in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, where Kyiv continues to struggle against mounting pressure.