A high-ranking general in the Russian armed forces and his assistant have been killed in Moscow by Ukraine’s security service, a Ukrainian source has told the BBC. Lt Gen Igor Kirillov, head of the Radiation, Biological and Chemical Defence Forces, was outside a residential block early on Tuesday when a device hidden in a scooter was detonated remotely, Russia’s Investigative Committee SK said.

A source in Ukraine’s SBU security service claimed Kirillov was “a legitimate target” and alleged he had carried out war crimes. On Monday, the SBU charged Kirillov, 54, in absentia, saying on Telegram that he was “responsible for the mass use of banned chemical weapon The Ukrainian government has not yet commented on the general’s death. Pictures from the scene in south-eastern Moscow showed the badly damaged entrance to a building with scorch marks on the walls and a number of windows blown out. Two body bags could also be seen on the street.

The block was cordoned off on Tuesday morning as Russian investigators continued combing the area. In October, the UK placed sanctions on Kirillov, saying he had overseen the use of chemical weapons in Ukraine and acted as a “significant mouthpiece for Kremlin disinformation Ukraine’s SBU has claimed Russia used chemical weapons more than 4,800 times under the general’s leadership. “Investigative actions and operational search activities are being carried out aimed at establishing all the circumstances of the crime.

Russian state news agencies reported that the explosive device – which killed Kirillov and his aide in Ryazansky Avenue – had an explosive force equivalent to 300g 0.7lb of TNT. They added that bomb experts and specialist search dogs had inspected the surrounding area and no other explosives had been found. Experts have told BBC Verify that judging from images of the scene, it appears the explosion was caused by an Improvised Explosive Device IED, a type of homemade bomb which usually contains easily obtainable components, such as nails or glass.  (BBC)