A military court in Moscow sentenced an Uzbek national to life imprisonment on Wednesday after he was convicted of murdering the leader of the Russian army’s chemical weapons division.
Akhmadzhon Kurbonov confessed to the assassination of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, who was in charge of the military’s radiological, chemical, and biological defense forces, along with his aide, in December 2024 as they exited an apartment complex in southeastern Moscow.
Kirillov’s assassination marks the highest-ranking Russian general to be killed since the onset of the large-scale invasion of Ukraine, contributing to the total of at least 19 Russian generals lost since February 2022.
Kurbonov was alleged to have crafted a bomb that he attached to an electric scooter, which he detonated remotely outside Kirillov’s residence.
The Second Western District Military Court found Kurbonov guilty on all charges and sentenced him to life imprisonment in a high-security facility.
Three additional defendants involved in the case received prison terms of up to 25 years.
According to a statement from the Investigative Committee, Russia’s leading investigative authority, the defendants were convicted based on their roles in a terrorist organization, execution of a terrorist act as part of an organized group, illegal possession of explosives, and training for terrorist activities.
Robert Safaryan, originally from Azerbaijan, was sentenced to 25 years for allegedly delivering explosives concealed as ordinary household items from Poland.
Batukhan Tochiyev and Ramazan Padiyev, both from the Russian republic of Ingushetia, were accused of sheltering Kurbonov following the attack. They were sentenced to 22 years and 18 years in prison, respectively.
The Investigative Committee announced it is continuing to investigate the purported mastermind behind the attack, an unidentified Ukrainian individual believed to be living in the European Union, as well as other suspected accomplices, all of whom have been placed on an international wanted list.
