A Russian nuclear defense chief was assassinated in a shocking Moscow bombing, according to officials.
A bomb had been remotely detonated after being hidden in an electric scooter outside an apartment, killing Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, the head of Russia's Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Defence Forces, Russia's Investigative Committee said, as reported by the BBC.
Photos shared of the blast showed a large hole in the side of a building and scorched brick. Bodies were also seen laying in the snow.
Ukraine's SBU security service wrote in a post to Telegram Monday that Kirillov was "responsible for the mass use of banned chemical weapons."
"Kirillov was a war criminal and an absolutely legitimate target, as he gave orders to use banned chemical substances against the Ukrainian military," a source with knowledge of the bombing told CNN. "Such an inglorious end awaits all those who kill Ukrainians. Retribution for war crimes is inevitable."
Several countries, including Canada and the United States, had previously placed sanctions against Kirillov after he was accused of using banned chemical weapons against Ukrainian troops. Ukrainian prosecutors recently charged him in absentia for such allegations.
The allegations have been denied by Russian officials. The country said it is now investigating the bombing as a terrorism act, as reported by the Associated Press.
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