Russia says suspect arrested for murder of high-ranking general in Moscow

MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian intelligence agency said Wednesday it has arrested a suspect in the killing of a top general in Moscow.

The suspect was described as an Uzbek national who had been recruited by Ukrainian intelligence services.

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) did not name the suspect but said he was born in 1995. According to an FSB statement, the suspect himself said that he had been recruited by Ukrainian special services.

Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov was killed on Tuesday by a bomb hidden in a scooter outside his Moscow apartment building, a day after the Ukrainian security service filed criminal charges against him. A Ukrainian official said the agency carried out the attack.

Kirillov was the head of the army’s nuclear, biological and chemical protection forces. His assistant also died in the attack.

Kirillov, 54, was under sanctions from several countries, including Britain and Canada, for his actions during Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine. On Monday, the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) opened a criminal investigation against him, accusing him of directing the use of banned chemical weapons.

Russia has denied the use of chemical weapons in Ukraine and has in turn accused Kiev of using toxic substances in the fight.

Kirillov, who took up his current job in 2017, was one of the most high-profile figures to make these accusations. He held numerous briefings to accuse the Ukrainian military of using toxic substances and planning attacks with radioactive materials – claims that Ukraine and its Western allies rejected as propaganda.

The bomb used in Tuesday’s attack was activated remotely, according to Russian news reports. Images from the scene showed shattered windows and scorched brickwork.

Russia’s top state investigative agency said it was investigating Kirillov’s death as a case of terrorism, and officials in Moscow vowed to punish Ukraine.