Moscow Verdict: Life Term in High-Profile Assassination Case
A military court in Moscow has sentenced an Uzbek man to life in prison after finding him guilty of orchestrating a bomb attack that killed a senior Russian general and his aide in late 2024. The ruling marks one of the most prominent verdicts linked to an attack that Moscow alleges was carried out at Ukraine’s direction, intensifying ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
Explosion in Moscow: General and Assistant Killed
The convict, identified as Akhmadzhon Kurbonov, was found guilty of constructing and detonating an explosive device hidden inside an electric scooter that detonated near a residential building in Moscow, killing Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, head of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops, and his assistant Ilya Polikarpov in December 2024.
Prosecutors argued the attack was planned abroad, with components smuggled across borders and assembled inside Russia before the deadly blast. Kurbonov confessed to the charges, while three other defendants received lengthy prison terms — ranging from 18 to 25 years — after being convicted on related charges including terrorism and the illegal trafficking of explosives.
Political Backdrop: Moscow Blames Kyiv
Russian authorities have attributed the operation to Ukraine’s security services, asserting that the planning and logistics were orchestrated outside Russia as part of a broader campaign to target senior figures associated with the war effort. Moscow views such actions as acts of state-sponsored terrorism, though Ukraine has not formally acknowledged direct responsibility.
The assassination of a high-ranking military official in the heart of Russia’s capital has added to an already volatile security environment, as clashes and targeted operations continue amid the prolonged conflict.
