Russia detains suspect over killing of chemical weapons chief

Russia said on Dec 18 it had detained an Uzbek man who confessed to planting and detonating a bomb that killed Lieutenant-General Igor Kirillov in Moscow on the instructions of Ukraine's SBU security service.

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Mr Kirillov, who was chief of Russia's Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops, was killed outside his apartment building on Dec 17 along with his assistant when a bomb hidden in an electric scooter went off.

He was the most senior Russian military officer to be assassinated in Russia by Ukraine.

Ukraine's SBU intelligence service took responsibility for the killing after Ukraine accused Mr Kirillov of being responsible for the use of chemical weapons against Ukrainian troops, something Moscow denies.

Russia's Investigative Committee, which probes serious crimes, said in a statement on Dec 18 the unnamed suspect told them he had gone to Moscow to carry out an assignment for Ukraine's intelligence services.

In a video published by the Baza news outlet, which is known to have sources in Russian law enforcement circles, the suspect is seen sitting in a van describing his actions.

It was not clear under what conditions he was speaking and Reuters could not immediately verify the video's authenticity.