Ukraine kills Russia's chemical chief in special operation: 'Retribution is inevitable'

Ukraine is said to have conducted a special operation that killed a senior Russian general, who was also the head of the military’s chemical, biological and radiological weapons unit. The operation was carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) as "retribution" for the use of banned chemical weapons inside Ukrainian territory, according to unconfirmed reports from Kyiv.

Igor Kirillov was killed on Tuesday morning when an explosive device attached to a scooter went off outside an apartment building in Moscow. Kirillov and his aide died when the blast tore through a building in the residential area, according to Russian state media TASS.

His murder comes a day after Ukraine charged him with the use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine. The SBU served him a notice of suspicion for ordering the use of K-1 combat grenades, which are equipped with toxic agent chloropicrin, against Ukrainian troops in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).

"Under Kirillov's orders, over 4,800 instances of the enemy using chemical munitions have been recorded since the beginning of the full-scale war. Specifically, this involves K-1 combat grenades, which are equipped with CS and CN poisonous irritant substances. Their use is prohibited by the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction of 13 January 1993. Over 2,000 servicemen from Ukraine's defence forces have been sent to military hospitals and other medical institutions with varying degrees of chemical poisoning during Russia's full-scale invasion," the SSU reported.

Kirillov was also sanctioned by Britain in October for the use of Chloropicrin, which is an oily liquid with a pungent odour known as a choking agent. It was widely used during the First World War as a form of tear gas and has been prohibited by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). 

Russia, however, claimed it doesn't have a military chemical arsenal.

Images from Moscow showed the bodies of the general and his aide lying in blood-soaked snow near the entrance to a building littered with rubble. The blast shattered several windows of the building and severely damaged the front door. 

Russian media called the murder "an unprecedented crime committed in Moscow" which will be investigated.

Meanwhile, Kyiv Independent quoted unnamed sources who called Kirillov a legitimate target. "Kirillov was a war criminal and a completely legitimate target, as he gave orders to use banned chemical weapons against the Ukrainian military. Retribution for war crimes is inevitable," the source added.