Suspect in Russian General’s Bombing Death Charged With Terrorism – State Media

Russian authorities have pressed terrorism charges against a man suspected of killing the head of the army’s chemical weapons division in a bomb attack, state media reported Thursday, citing anonymous law enforcement sources.

Akhmad Kurbanov, who is said to be a citizen of Uzbekistan, reportedly faces three charges of murder, arms trafficking and terrorism in the killing of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov. Kurbanov pleaded guilty, according to the Kommersant business daily, which cited anonymous security service sources.

“When the general came out of the entrance, I pressed the button,” Kurbanov was quoted as saying during an interrogation.

Kirillov and his assistant were killed Tuesday walking out of a Moscow apartment building early in the morning after an explosive device attached to a nearby scooter went off.

Kommersant noted that an organized crime unit of Russia’s Investigative Committee pressed charges against Kurbanov. The publication called the move “somewhat unusual,” saying that terrorism is usually investigated by the committee’s other departments, primarily one that deals with high-priority cases.

Kurbanov faces life in prison if found guilty.

The day after Kirillov’s assassination, Russia’s Investigative Committee announced Kurbanov’s arrest and his alleged admission that he had been recruited by Ukraine’s special forces.

In a series of anonymously attributed media comments, Ukraine’s SBU security service claimed responsibility for killing the “war criminal” Kirillov. Ukraine charged Kirillov with the use of banned chemical weapons during the Russian invasion the day before his death.

Russian investigators said Kurbanov had admitted to mounting an explosive device on the scooter and streaming the attack to “organizers” in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro from a rented car parked nearby.

He was allegedly promised $100,000 to carry out the attack, as well as the possibility to settle in a “European country,” the statement read.