Kiev considers Kirillov a 'legitimate target'?

According to RIA Novosti, the New York Times reported that Ukraine's special services have claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack in Moscow, in which the commander of the Russian military's chemical, biological and radiological defense forces, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, and his deputy were killed. An unnamed official of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said that Kiev considered Kirillov a "legitimate target".

The New York Times said it had received a recording from the SBU that showed two people leaving the building shortly before the explosion. The New York Times article said the location and time of what was happening in the video were said to match the data of the terrorist attack; a scooter was “visible” in the footage.

The fact that Ukrainian special services were behind the assassination of General Kirillov was also reported by Reuters citing a source on December 17.

Regarding this incident, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller stated that the US is believed to have no involvement in the terrorist attack targeting Russian General Kirilov.

The official spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, said that this statement of the US is “ridiculous”. Because “Washington has never condemned the terrorist attacks of Kiev”, Ms. Zakharova told TASS.

Lieutenant General Kirilov is a well-known figure in Russia's special military operations. At briefings, he accused the United States, other Western countries and Kiev of preparing provocations with toxic substances and planning to create a "dirty bomb" to discredit Russia. Each of Kirillov's speeches is based on solid evidence and backed by documents.

In addition, this general is also one of the creators of the Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus.