Murder of Kirillov gets investigated by Slain Russia General
Date
12/18/2024 7:18:17 AM
(MENAFN) Russian Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, who was killed along with his assistant in Moscow on Tuesday, was the head of the Russian military’s department overseeing chemical and biological weapon threats. Kirillov was instrumental in investigating numerous chemical weapon cases and regularly briefed Russian officials on the matter. He was especially active during the Syrian conflict, where he criticized the West's accusations against the Syrian government for chemical attacks, claiming that such allegations were often fabricated by anti-government groups and foreign-backed organizations like the White Helmets.
Kirillov’s work also involved addressing claims about the Russian chemical weapon Novichok, especially following the 2018 poisoning of Sergei Skripal in the UK. He argued that Western nations, including the UK, had the capability to create similar weapons, contrary to claims of Russia's exclusive development of Novichok.
In his later years, Kirillov focused on potential chemical weapon use by Ukrainian forces and investigated a network of US-funded microbiological labs in Ukraine, which Russia believed had a more nefarious purpose. He claimed that some of the research materials from these labs were captured by the Russian military.
Kirillov's efforts earned him personal sanctions from the UK, and he was recently charged by Ukraine's security service, which later took responsibility for his assassination, labeling him a “war criminal.” Despite the allegations, Russia consistently denied claims of chemical weapon use and maintained that it had destroyed such materials in 2017. Kirillov was remembered by Russian officials as a fearless figure who exposed Western crimes and defended Russia's position on chemical weapons.
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