Ukrainian spies are making increasingly daring attacks on Russian figures

It is impressive how elaborate the operation was. The explosive device was hidden in an electric scooter and was activated by remote control, Ukrainian sources told the BBC.

The victim, Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, is believed to be the highest-ranking military official killed outside a combat zone since the full-scale invasion began.

His murder shocked the military and political establishment of Russia. This was reported by sources in the SBU of Ukraine.

There have been numerous Ukrainian operations directed against Russian forces on Ukrainian territory.

But the fact that Ukrainian intelligence could target the head of Russia’s radiation, biological and chemical defense forces near his home in southeast Moscow raises questions about Russian security and how far Ukraine’s capabilities can extend.

Choosing a scooter to attack was a smart move. They lie abandoned everywhere on the streets of Moscow and do not attract attention.

But since they blew up the device at the right moment, in this case, when gen. Kirillov came out of his apartment building with his assistant, there had to be some kind of visual surveillance of the criminals – either surveillance through a camera or personal surveillance.

It is believed that his killing by the SBU was not the first on the streets of Russia’s largest cities, so previous attacks on politicians and military officials in Russia may shed light on how such operations were carried out.

It was in April 2023, a well-known military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky met with fans in a cafe in St. Petersburg as part of the “creative evening”.

During the party at Street Food Bar No. 1, Daria Trepava, who called herself an art student, presented him with a sculpture of a soldier’s head. Moments later, as Tatarsky was putting the gift back in the box, it exploded, killing him and injuring many others in the room.

Ms. Trepava later stated in court that she knew nothing about the explosives inside the bust. She admitted that she was against the war in Ukraine, but, she said, she was told that there was a microphone inside the bust.

The court sentenced her to 27 years in prison.

Whatever she knew in advance, there is no doubt that Ukrainian intelligence services are using deception to lure local Russians who may be sympathetic to the Ukrainian cause.

Actions can range from organizing sabotage to, in this case, planting a bomb.

The SBU does not mind sending an assassin to achieve its goal, perhaps the most notorious spy means of murder.

A year ago, pro-Russian ex-deputy of Ukraine Ilya Kiva was shot dead in a village near Moscow. The killer managed to get into the hotel area unnoticed and shot Mr. Kivu twice while he was walking in the park.

Again, Ukraine has not made any official statements, but SBU sources said it was them.

Just five days ago, leading Russian rocket scientist Mikhail Shatsky was shot dead in a forest near Moscow. At the same time, the murder was blamed on the military intelligence of Ukraine, although there was no confirmation.

Shatsky was responsible for the modernization of the Russian Kh-59 and Kh-69 cruise missiles, which caused so much destruction and casualties in Ukraine.

The fact that Kirillov’s murder took place a few days after Shatsky’s murder shows how deeply Ukrainian spies have penetrated into Russia.

Not only politicians or Russians connected to the military were attacked.

In August 2022, Daria Dugina was killed by a car bomb in a message to her father, Alexander Dugin, who is considered a Russian ideologue who justifies Moscow’s aggression in Ukraine.

According to the Russian investigation, two citizens of Ukraine participated in the attack – a clear example of Ukraine sending operatives deep into Russia to “eliminate” its target.

43-year-old Natalya Vouk moved to Russia from occupied Donetsk in eastern Ukraine. Later, she teamed up with another Ukrainian who rented the garage where the bomb was assembled. Both Ukrainians, as it was claimed during the trial, managed to escape from Russia a day before Dugina’s murder.

All these attacks show a wide range of methods available to the Ukrainian intelligence services, but some experts believe that the attempt on Lieutenant General Kirillov may not have been Kiev at all.

This could be the result of an internal power struggle among the Russian military or an attempt by the Kremlin to remove one of the main witnesses of war crimes, according to Kyiv-based military analyst Yuriy Karin.

If it was the SBU, the message is clear, he says. “Even within the Moscow Ring Road, Russian generals cannot feel safe.”