Ukraine claims killing of prominent general in Moscow explosion

KIEV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s SBU domestic intelligence agency unofficially claimed it was behind the assassination on Tuesday of high-ranking Russian general Igor Kirillov in Moscow.

Kirillov and his adjutant were killed when an explosive device detonated in an electric scooter as Kirillov left his house in the morning to be driven to work, according to the Investigative Committee of Russia.

Russia’s state-run TASS news agency, citing a law enforcement official, said the device “had a capacity of some 300 grams in TNT equivalent.” The entrance to the building where the explosion occurred was severely damaged, photos showed.

Russia’s chief investigator Alexander Bastrykin took over the case, which has been classified by Moscow as a terrorist attack.

According to Russian media, the explosive device was allegedly detonated by a mobile phone signal. They reported that mobile phone communications in the neighborhood were being examined.

Kyiv unofficially claims attack

Interfax-Ukraine and other agencies unanimously reported SBU involvement, citing intelligence service sources.

“Kirillov was a war criminal and an absolutely legitimate target, because he ordered the use of chemical weapons against Ukrainian troops,” the reports said, quoting the SBU sources.

While the confirmation was not official, Ukrainian authorities often release information in this way.

Dirty warfare

Kirillov was the head of the country’s Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defence Troops (NBC), responsible for protection against threats from nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

The 54-year-old frequently appeared publicly during the Russian war against Ukraine, making accusations that the United States was operating secret biolabs in the neighboring country.

Additionally, Kirillov, who was considered one of the most significant warmongers in Russia and is on Western sanctions lists, claimed that Ukraine was working on a so-called dirty bomb.

Dirty bombs are weapons of mass destruction that combine conventional explosives with radioactive material.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had also made such accusations against Ukraine based on reports publicly presented by Kirillov. There has been no evidence for these claims.

In the past, there have been attacks on high-ranking military figures and propagandists in Russia amidst the war. The power apparatus in Moscow repeatedly blames Ukrainian intelligence services for these attacks.

The spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, described Kirillov as a “fearless fighter.”

London: Thousands of Russian tanks lost

Kyiv has been defending itself against an all-out Russian invasion since February 2022.

In this time, Russia has lost more than 3,600 main battle tanks and nearly 8,000 armoured vehicles, the British Ministry of Defence said in its latest intelligence update on Tuesday.

“This has led to a reliance on outdated and poorly maintained Soviet-era equipment from strategic storage depots,” it added, noting that armored equipment was being hauled out of storage, upgraded where possible and sent to the front line.

Moscow views London’s daily updates on the war as disinformation.

Finnish president: Peace talks premature

US President-elect Donald Trump’s imminent return to the White House has focused international diplomacy on how to end the entrenched conflict.

But calls for peace talks and a ceasefire in Ukraine are premature, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said on Tuesday ahead of talks in Tallinn with his counterparts from the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), a Northern European military partnership led by Britain.

“I welcome those discussions, but let’s focus on the essential. Ukraine needs to win this war first,” Stubb said.

Besides Britain and Finland, the JEF includes fellow NATO members Denmark, Iceland, Norway Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the Netherlands.

“Before we can start talking about peace or a ceasefire, we need to continue to support Ukraine, and the support needs to be very practical. It basically means arms and ammunition, so that Ukraine can win this war on the battlefield,” Stubb said.

Stubb stressed three principles for Ukraine: independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty. Ukraine had to start any talks from a position of strength, he said.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda also backed strong support for Ukraine. He noted that Russia now considered itself stronger that Ukraine and said it would “extremely difficult” to bring the Kremlin to the negotiation table.

“Hopefully, with our dedication and our commitment, it is possible to change the momentum on the battlefield to the better direction. And then of course we’ll start to talk about possible solutions,” Nausėda said.

The Baltic States and the Nordic countries have been among the staunchest backers of Ukraine in warding off Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Support for Ukraine is a central focus of the JEF meeting in the Estonian capital.