Russia Arrests the Perpetrator of the Attack That Killed Gen. Kirillov
Scene of the assassination of Gen. Igor Kirillov, Moscow, Dec. 17, 2024. X/ @Sigmalive_EN
December 18, 2024 Hour: 7:37 am
He is being prosecuted for murder, terrorism, and the illegal trafficking and manufacture of weapons and ammunition.
On Wednesday, investigators from the Russian Investigative Committee, in cooperation with the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, arrested a citizen of the Republic of Uzbekistan, born in 1995, suspected of carrying out the attack that killed Gen. Igor Kirillov, head of the Russian Army’s Radiological, Chemical, and Biological Defense Troops, and his assistant, Ilya Polikarpov.
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“The detainee was brought before the investigating judge, and investigative measures are being carried out with him. During the interrogation, he explained that he was recruited by Ukrainian special services,” said the official representative of the Russian Investigative Committee, Svetlana Petrenko.
“Following their instructions, he traveled to Moscow, received an improvised explosive device, and placed it on an electric scooter parked at the entrance of the residential building where Igor Kirillov lived,” she added.
To monitor the residence of the Russian general, the detainee rented a car-sharing vehicle, where he installed a video surveillance camera that live-streamed images from the scene to the organizers of the attack, who were located in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. Upon seeing that Kirillov and his assistant were leaving the building, the detainee remotely detonated the explosive device.
“For committing this crime, the perpetrator was promised a monetary reward of US$100,000 and relocation to a European country to live there,” Petrenko said, adding that the ongoing investigation is working to identify other individuals involved in the attack.
The suspect could face a life sentence, as he is being prosecuted for crimes including murder, terrorism, and the illegal trafficking and manufacture of weapons and ammunition.
“Members of the Ukrainian special services involved in organizing the terrorist attack will be found and brought to justice,” said the FSB.
Hours after the crime, Russian authorities arrested two men implicated in Kirillov’s murder. Both individuals disclosed information about the organizers of the double murder. Meanwhile, Russian authorities continue operational search activities in connection with this criminal case.
Kirillov and Polikarpov were killed on December 17 as they left a residential building on Ryazansky Avenue in Moscow. A scooter parked at the entrance with an explosive device was remotely detonated. As part of the investigation, video recordings from cameras in the area of the crime scene were reviewed.
Reuters and the Ukrainian outlet The Kyiv Independent, citing a source in Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), reported that the attack on Kirillov was allegedly orchestrated by the Ukrainian institution.
teleSUR/ JF Source: RT