blast scene russia
A view of the blast scene, which killed the commander of Russian armed forces' chemical, biological and radiation defence troops, Igor Kirillov, and his deputy, according to the Russian Investigative Committee, outside a residential building on Ryazansky Avenue in Moscow on December 17, 2024. Image Credit: AFP

Moscow: Russia has detained a suspect in the killing of the head of the army’s chemical weapons division, investigators said Wednesday, a day after the general and his aide were killed by a blast in Moscow.

“A national of Uzbekistan, born in 1995, was arrested on suspicion of having committed the attack that cost the life of the commander of Russian radiological, chemical and biological defence forces, Igor Kirillov, and his assistant, Ilya Polikarpov”, the Investigative Committee said in a statement, adding that the suspect said he had been “recruited by Ukrainian special forces”.