A Russian general was killed in an explosion in Moscow

A senior general in the Russian army and his aide were killed when a bomb exploded in Moscow.

Lt Gen Igor Kirillov, head of the Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Defense Forces (NBC), was leaving the residence early Tuesday morning when a device hidden in a towel detonated, Russia’s Investigative Committee said.

Photos taken from the scene showed the building’s entrance badly damaged, with frost on the walls and many windows blown out. Two body bags were also seen on the street.

In October, the UK imposed sanctions to Kirillov, saying he oversaw the use of chemical weapons in Ukraine and served as “an important mouthpiece for Kremlin disinformation”.

On Monday, Ukraine’s secret service, the SBU, charged him in absentia, they said on Telegram “he was responsible for the mass use of banned chemical weapons”.

Russia denies these allegations.

The Investigative Committee, Russia’s main investigative body, said it had “opened a case of killing two soldiers”.

“Investigators, forensics and law enforcement are working at the scene,” the statement said.

“Investigative actions and search operations are carried out aimed at finding all criminal cases.”

Under the UK sanctions, Kirillov was subject to an asset freeze and travel ban, with the Foreign Office describing him as “a key mouthpiece for Kremlin disinformation”.

In May, the US has accused Russia of installing chemical weapons as a “method of war” in Ukraine, in violation of international laws prohibiting their use.

State Department officials said Russia used the chokehold chloropicrin to win “advantages on the battlefield” over Ukraine.

The Kremlin rejected the allegations at the time, calling them “baseless”.