Russia arrests Uzbek suspect for assassination of nuclear defense chief

A source from the Investigative Committee of Russia revealed that a suspect in the assassination of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov in Moscow claimed during interrogation that "Ukrainian intelligence recruited him."

Read more: VIDEO: High-ranking Russian commander killed in Moscow explosion

On Wednesday, the committee announced the arrest of an Uzbek national born in 1995, suspected of carrying out the attack that killed Kirillov, chief of Russia's Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops, along with his assistant, Ilya Polikarpov.

According to the statement, the suspect traveled to Moscow at the request of unidentified parties. He received an explosive device and placed it on an electric scooter parked near Kirillov's residence. Additionally, he rented a car parked beside the building, which was equipped with a surveillance camera.

Investigators noted that the camera streamed footage live to the attack planners in Dnipro, Ukraine.

Read more: Ukraine claims responsibility for killing Russia's nuclear defense chief

When the general and his assistant left the building, the suspect detonated the explosive device remotely. The statement also indicated that the suspect had been promised USD 100,000 and the opportunity to relocate to a European country.