The carefully planned murder of Russian General Igor Kirilov, who was the head of the radiation, chemical and biological safety troops of the Russian armed forces, was aimed at sowing fear and hatred in the country. Now Russians are beginning to doubt the competence of their own internal security services, writes The Telegraph, quoted by Focus.
The publication indicates that the murder of Kirilov has caused outrage among Russian "military elites". Many of them openly declare that this is "a disgrace that happened right under the Kremlin".
Moreover, less than 24 hours before the murder of the Russian general, the SBU indicted him in absentia. The reason was that Kirillov had approved the use of chemical weapons against Ukrainian armed forces at the front. According to The Telegraph, this can be seen as a signal that Ukraine has included him in the "hit list".
Journalists recall that this is not the first murder of Russian officials involved in the war in Ukraine. Just a few days ago, Mikhail Shatsky, a senior researcher in the Kremlin's missile program, was shot dead in the Kuzminsky forest park near Kotelniki. In addition, in recent months, senior commanders of the Russian air force, navy and army have been tracked down and eliminated in southern Russia.
The publication emphasizes that the elimination of Kirillov seems like "the culmination of a vivid Ukrainian assassination program". The journalists add that his murder has sparked a "blame game" in the Russian Federation.
The pro-Kremlin Telegram channel "Ribar" wrote that the general's assassination had a negative impact on the morale of Russian soldiers, even on the front lines.
According to the author, even such a turn of events is unlikely to make Russian President Vladimir Putin reconsider his views and consider a truce with Ukraine.
Nigel Gould Davies, a senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, believes that Kirillov's assassination will have a lasting effect on Putin and his circle.
"Ukraine's ability to kill a serving general in Moscow will deeply puzzle the elites. This is the most significant assassination yet,“ he explained.