Igor Kirillov: Russian general in charge of nuclear troops killed by blast in Moscow
A senior Russian general in charge of nuclear protection forces has been killed by a bomb hidden in an electric scooter, Russia's investigative committee says.
Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, who is in charge of Russia's Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops, died in the street outside a block of flats about 4 miles (7km) southeast of the Kremlin.
His assistant also died in the explosion.
Ukraine latest: Russian general killed in Moscow blast
According to Reuters, citing a Ukrainian security source, Kyiv's security service killed the Russian general.
Sky News has not independently verified these claims.
Alexei Zhuravlev, first deputy chairman of Russia's State Duma Defence Committee, also pointed the finger at Ukraine, saying: "I think hardly anyone doubts that the murder of General Kirillov was planned and carried out by the Ukrainian special services."
The investigative committee said that a scooter, parked next to the entrance of a residential building on Ryazansky Prospekt, in Moscow, had an explosive device inside.
A criminal case has since been opened looking into murder, terrorism, and illegal arms trafficking.
Photographs posted on Russian Telegram channels showed two bodies lying in the blood-stained snow next to the wrecked entrance to a building.
Russian news agency TASS said the bomb contained the equivalent of 300g of high explosive.
Several cars and the first four floors of the apartment building were damaged, the news agency added.
Russia's radioactive, chemical and biological defence soldiers, known as RKhBZ, are special forces who operate when there is a threat from radioactive, chemical and biological contamination.
On Monday, a Ukrainian prosecutor opened a case against General Kirillov in absentia, accusing him of using banned chemical weapons in Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine said.
It was claimed that General Kirillov was "using dangerous chemicals mainly in the hottest areas of combat, where they [Russia] are trying to hide the use of chemical agents under dense artillery fire".
Russia denies those accusations.
Read more from Sky News:
Ousted Assad issues first statement since fall
Zelenskyy and Putin 'gotta make a deal', says Trump
Twelve die from 'carbon monoxide poisoning' at ski resort
The e-scooter, which Sky News' Data and Forensics team has geolocated to the scene outside a residential building in Moscow, is from KugooKirin.
The brand was founded in China but has multiple overseas warehouses across Europe, including in Russia.
Russia is also one of its main exporting countries, according to the company's website.
'An embarrassment for Putin'
Tobias Ellwood, former chair of the Defence Select Committee, said the apparent attack would be an embarrassment for Vladimir Putin, having taken place in Moscow.
He said: "The removal of a senior military officer not on the battlefield, but in Moscow, just miles from the Kremlin - this will be an embarrassment for Putin.
"He cannot hide this from the Russian people who are generally not supportive of this war and I would expect a major retaliation on the Russian side."
Mr Ellwood added that the actions of both Russia and Ukraine were being influenced by the fact Donald Trump will become US president again in January.
He said: "Both sides know there's just one month left until Donald Trump returns to the White House and that is affecting behaviour on the battlefield.
"In a month's time, talks are bound to start about a potential ceasefire and about a potential deal - so every opportunity is being taken to gain territory, to seek advantage, to prosecute existing plans to cause harm - and that is what I think is playing out here.
"The killing of Igor Kirillov we can only assume was done by Ukraine, and is a major event."
