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Key Points: In a daring operation in Moscow by Ukraine, Ukrainian intelligence (SBU) assassinated Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, head of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Defense Forces.

-Kirillov, accused of authorizing nearly 5,000 illegal chemical weapon attacks against Ukraine, was killed alongside his aide by an explosive device hidden in a scooter.

-The attack followed Kyiv’s formal charges against Kirillov for war crimes. Russia has condemned the strike as terrorism, while Ukraine framed it as justified retaliation.

-Analysts expect Moscow to respond with mass missile and drone strikes. The operation highlights Ukraine’s ability to target high-ranking Russian figures even deep within enemy territory.

-On Tuesday, the Ukrainian intelligence services killed the top chemical officer in the Russian military.

Russia’s Top Chemical Officer Killed in Kyiv’s Retaliatory Strike

In a brazen targeted attack in Moscow, the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) killed Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, the head of the killed Russian Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Defense Forces (NBC), and his personal assistant with an improvised explosive device.

Targeted Strike from Ukraine

A video released from the scene shows Kirillov and his personal assistant stepping out of a building on a cold Russian night.

Moments later, a nearby scooter that contained an improvised explosive device, explodes, instantly killing the high-ranking Russian officer. 

Ukrainian authorities had accused the Russian general for using illegal chemical weapons against Ukrainian troops. And on Monday, one day before the targeted attack, the SBU charged Kirillov in absentia for authorizing the deployment of banned chemical weapons. Specifically, the Ukrainians assess that the deceased Russian general  had authorized almost 5,000 attacks with chemical weapons since the start of the war. 

The Ukrainian intelligence services confirmed the attack, stating that the SBU carried out a special operation to kill the Russian general. Kyiv justified the attack by stating that Kirillov was a legitimate military target for his role in furthering Russian war crimes against Ukraine. 

Meanwhile, Russia has still to respond militarily. Russian officials characterized the attack as a terrorist strike. Of course, the Ukrainian targeted attack can be framed in more than one way. And the Kremlin is trying to do just that in an attempt to justify Kirillov’s actions. 

Ukraine Drone Attack

“The Kremlin and Russian propagandists overwhelmingly attempted to frame Kirillov’s assassination as an unprovoked terrorist act, rather than a consequence of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and Kirillov’s responsibility for Russian chemical weapons attacks and information operations against Ukraine,” the Institute for the Study of War assessed in its latest operational update. 

Judging from previous incidents that brought Moscow’s retaliation, Ukraine should expect mass missile and drone attacks against military targets and urban centers in the upcoming days and weeks. 

“The Russian ultranationalist information space overwhelmingly called on the Kremlin to retaliate against Ukraine by targeting its military-political leadership and indirectly criticized the Kremlin’s decision to not recognize the war in Ukraine as a full-scale war that also impacts the Russian rear,” the Institute for the Study of War stated. 

On a strategic level, the Ukrainian targeted attack showed that Kyiv is both determined and capable of taking the war to those who are wreaking havoc on Ukraine. To strike at the heart of the enemy’s capital and take out one of the most senior officers is no simple feat.

Switchblade Drone Attack by Ukraine. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Switchblade Drone Attack by Ukraine

And this isn’t the first time the Ukrainians have pulled off an operation like that. Although Kirillov is the most senior Russian general to die in the war so far, the Ukrainian intelligence services and special operations forces have carried out similarly targeted strikes in the past, taking out officers who have been deemed responsible for attacks against civilians, including a submarine commander. 

About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou 

A 19FortyFive Defense and National Security Columnist, Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University, an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and is pursuing a J.D. at Boston College Law School. His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.