Ukraine assassinates Russian general in charge of nuclear defense forces in Moscow explosion

Ukraine on Tuesday assassinated a senior Russian general in charge of nuclear defense forces in a brazen attack in Moscow that used an explosive-laden scooter, an escalation that came even as President-elect Donald Trump implored both sides to seek peace.

Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, the head of the Russian Armed Forces’ Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defense Troops, died in the explosion outside a residential building along with an aide, Russian officials said.

Kirillov had been accused by the United States in October of using chemical weapons in the war against Ukraine.

Ukraine officials credited the attack to its intelligence agency, the Security Service of Ukraine or SBU.

Russia called the attack an act of terrorism, and a top official, Dmitry Medvedev, warned Ukraine would face “inevitable retribution.”