On the morning of December 17, an explosion on Ryazansky Prospekt in Moscow killed Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, the head of Russia's Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Defense Forces (RCBDF), along with his driver. The information was reported by sources from law enforcement to Russian outlets Baza, Shot, and Mash. The Russian Investigative Committee (SK) later confirmed the incident.
According to TASS, the explosion occurred at 2/1 Ryazansky Prospekt. Baza reported that an improvised explosive device might have been attached to the handlebar of a scooter parked near the entrance of a residential building. The blast shattered windows up to the fourth floor and blew off the building’s entrance door. Three nearby cars were also damaged.
The SK has launched a criminal investigation and ordered medical and explosive forensic examinations. Moscow's prosecutor’s office stated that the investigation's progress is under close supervision.
Kirillov, 54, had served as head of the RCBDF since 2017. He was involved in the development and adoption of the heavy flamethrower system TOC-2 "Tosochka." He was sanctioned for his role in Russia's war against Ukraine.
During the conflict, Kirillov repeatedly accused Ukraine's Armed Forces (AFU) of using chemical weapons. In October, he claimed that Ukrainian troops deployed Western-produced chemical munitions in Sudzha, Kursk Region, using DM-105 cluster munitions containing chlorine and suffocating agents.
In 2022, Kirillov alleged the existence of "US-supervised" biolabs in Ukraine. According to him, "American contractors" intended to create mosquitoes capable of spreading yellow fever, dengue, and Zika viruses. He later warned that such mosquito-borne vectors were "technically ready" to be used against Russian forces.
