Ukrainian Intelligence Claims Responsibility for Assassination of Top Russian General

Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, head of Russia's chemical and biological defense forces, was killed in a bomb attack Moscow alleges was orchestrated by Ukraine.

• Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, a high-ranking Russian military officer, was killed by a bomb concealed in a scooter outside his Moscow residence on December 17.
• Russia has detained a 29-year-old Uzbek man, accusing him of carrying out the attack under orders from Ukraine's SBU intelligence agency, which has claimed responsibility.
• Kirillov, sanctioned by multiple Western nations, was accused by Ukraine of overseeing the use of banned chemical weapons during the ongoing war and was charged in absentia just a day before his death.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin called the assassination a 'serious blunder' by law enforcement, criticizing their failure to prevent the attack and vowing to tighten security measures.
• Analysts suggest the killing may intensify retaliatory actions by Russia and worsen conditions for Central Asian migrants in the country, as authorities increase raids and inspections.

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