The assassination of Lt Gen Igor Kirillov, head of Russia's chemical, biological and radiological weapons unit (RKhBZ), highlights Ukraine's growing intelligence capabilities and its right to defend itself against Russia's ongoing offensive.
Kyiv’s targeted killings expose the reach of its intelligence services, challenging the Kremlin’s war machine while sticking to the laws of war. Yet their anger seems misplaced: the targeted killing of Lt Gen Igor Kirillov was not an unprovoked act, but a consequence of Russia ’s ongoing offensive and Ukraine ’s right to defend itself under international law.
The explosion that shook a quiet Moscow neighbourhood – eliminating the head of the Russian military’s chemical, biological and radiological weapons unit, known as RKhBZ – also revealed the unexpectedly formidable capabilities of Ukraine’s secret service (SBU). The general and his assistant are the most senior figures assassinated since Russia’s 2022 invasion. The pair were killed when a bomb, concealed in a parked car, detonated. Lt Gen Kirillov must have known he was a marked man. The RKhBZ, which he commanded, are special forces who operate under conditions of radioactive, chemical and biological contamination. The day before, the SBU charged the general in absentia, accusing him of the “mass use of banned chemical weapons”. Kyiv says over 400 civilians have been killed by these weapons since the start of the war. The targeted killing of Lt Gen Kirillov is consistent with Ukraine’s right to self-defence under international law. The UN Charter, which states: “Nothing in the present charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a member of the United Nations”. States carrying out lethal force in the context of an armed conflict must also comply with international humanitarian law. The Russian general appears to have been a valid target and Ukraine is likely to have conformed to the laws of war.
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