A Uzbek man has been arrested in relation to the murder of Russian General Igor Kirillov

A 29-year-old Uzbek man has been arrested in connection with the Moscow assassination of Russian general Igor Kirillov.

A 29-year-old Uzbek man has been arrested in connection with the murder of senior general Igor Kirillov and his deputy in Moscow, according to Russian authorities.

The director of the Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection Forces, Lt Gen Igor Kirillov, was outside a residential block early Tuesday when an explosive device concealed in an electric scooter was remotely detonated, according to the authorities.

The unnamed suspect has acknowledged being recruited by Ukrainian secret services, according to Russia’s Investigative Committee SK. The SK offered no supporting data for its assertion.

A source said on Tuesday that the SBU, Ukraine’s security agency, has already stated that it was responsible for the murder.

According to the Ukrainian source, Kirillov, 54, was “a legitimate target” and was accused of committing war crimes.

The Russian general was accused by Ukraine in absentia on Monday, the day before the murder, of being “responsible for the mass use of banned chemical weapons.”Moscow disputes the accusations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin “expresses deep condolences” on Kirillov’s passing, according to a Kremlin spokesperson, according to Russian state-run news agency Tass.

The SK said in a statement on Wednesday that the individual in custody was an Uzbek national and was born in 1995.

He was “suspected of committing a terrorist act,” according to the report, and “he explained that he was recruited by the Ukrainian special services” while being questioned.

The SK claimed that the explosive device had been installed on the scooter that was parked close to the entrance of the apartment complex where Kirillov resided.

The investigative committee also noted that the suspect had rented a car and set a video camera in the city of Dnipro, Ukraine, to monitor the scene and provide live footage to the attack coordinators.

The statement claimed that the explosive device was remotely activated when Kirillov and his aide Ilya Polikarpov exited the building.

A video of the suspect’s interrogation was released by Russia’s Federal Security Services (FSB) in the meantime.

A dark-haired man in handcuffs with what looks to be a noticeable rip in his coat is seen talking straight into the camera in the video.

For killing Kirillov, he was offered a European passport and a $100,000 reward, he is heard stating in Russian.

He came to Moscow on Ukraine’s orders and was given a handmade bomb device, the FSB stated.

Whether the individual was coerced into making the confession is unknown.

The most high-ranking military official to be killed inside Russia since President Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 is believed to have been Kirillov.

Not only was Kirillov accused by Ukraine, but the UK had previously sanctioned him for allegedly using chemical weapons in Ukraine.

Russia has allegedly deployed chemical weapons more than 4,800 times under the general’s command, according to Ukraine’s SBU security service.

This is denied by Moscow, which claims that in 2017 it destroyed the last of its enormous chemical weapons stockpile.

Several windows were blown out, and the entrance to Kirillov’s apartment complex in southeast Moscow was severely damaged, according to photos taken on Tuesday. The walls were marked with smoke. There were also two body bags on the roadway.

Additionally, on Wednesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Russia would bring up Kirillov’s murder during Friday’s UN Security Council meeting.

Russian authorities have promised to track down and prosecute the murderers.