Recent events have shed light on a series of high-profile attacks in Russia that have been linked to Ukraine. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has claimed responsibility for the killing of Lt. General Igor Kirillov, head of the military’s nuclear, biological, and chemical protection forces, in a bombing in Moscow. Kirillov, along with his assistant Ilya Polikarpov, was killed in a scooter bomb explosion outside an apartment block.
The SBU official, speaking on condition of anonymity, described Kirillov as a 'war criminal' and a 'legitimate target.' Kirillov had been charged by the SBU for allegedly ordering the use of banned chemical weapons against Ukraine's Defense Forces.
Other incidents include the killing of TV commentator Darya Dugina in a remote-controlled bomb attack, military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky in a cafe bombing, and nationalist writer Zakhar Prilepin in a car bombing. These attacks have raised tensions between Russia and Ukraine, with accusations and denials being exchanged.
Former submarine commander Stanislav Rzhitsky was gunned down while jogging in Krasnodar, and Ukrainian lawmaker Illia Kyva was found dead near Moscow with a gunshot wound to the head. The death of Sergei Yevsyukov, the former head of a prison housing Ukrainian POWs, in a car bomb explosion in Donetsk, and the killing of Russian missile designer Mikhail Shatsky in a suburban Moscow park, further add to the string of violent incidents.
Both Ukrainian and Russian authorities have been involved in investigating these attacks, with arrests made in some cases. The motives behind these targeted killings remain complex and continue to fuel tensions between the two neighboring countries.
