Igor Kirillov, the head of Russia's Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Protection Troops, was killed in an explosion in Moscow on December 17, 2024. Kirillov, 54, was a lieutenant general in the Russian Armed Forces and had served in the military since 1987. He was appointed head of the Russian NBC Protection Troops in 2017 and became notorious for his controversial briefings at the Russian Defense Ministry, which led the UK Foreign Office to label him a "significant mouthpiece for Kremlin disinformation."

Kirillov was accused by Western countries of overseeing the use of chemical weapons on the battlefield in Ukraine. The UK Foreign Office stated that the force he commanded had deployed "barbaric chemical weapons in Ukraine," highlighting the extensive use of riot control agents and multiple reports of the toxic choking agent chloropicrin. Ukraine's SBU security service also accused Kirillov of utilizing banned chemical weapons in the country, citing over 4,800 cases of enemy use since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022. His allegations against Ukraine, which included claims of US-built biological weapons laboratories and Ukraine's development of a "dirty bomb," were dismissed by Western nations as "transparently false."

Kirillov's death resulted from explosives planted in an electric scooter, which detonated as he left his building on Ryazansky Prospekt in southeastern Moscow. Ukraine's SBU security service claimed responsibility for the blast, describing it as a special operation targeting a legitimate target. Kirillov's death is perceived as a blow to pro-Kremlin loyalists and as evidence that Ukraine is capable of striking high-profile officials in Moscow. Konstantin Kosachev, the deputy speaker of Russia's upper house of parliament, called Kirillov's death an "irreparable loss."

Kirillov’s legacy is marked by controversy and disinformation. His claims and briefings were widely criticized as baseless and misleading. His death signifies the end of a career clouded by allegations of wrongdoing. This incident underscores the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, as well as the continued use of chemical weapons in the conflict.