MOSCOW: A top Russian general accused by Ukraine of being responsible for the use of chemical weapons against Ukrainian troops was assassinated in Moscow by Ukraine’s SBU intelligence service on Tuesday morning in the most high-profile killing of its kind.
Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, who was chief of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops, was killed outside an apartment building along with his assistant when a bomb hidden in an electric scooter went off, Russia’s Investigative Committee, which probes serious crimes, said.
An SBU source confirmed to Reuters that the Ukrainian intelligence agency had been behind the hit. “The liquidation of the chief of the radiation and chemical protection troops of the Russian Federation is the work of the SBU,” the source said.
The source said that a scooter containing explosives was detonated, killing both Kirillov and his aide, as they stepped out of a building on Ryazansky Prospekt in Moscow.
Unverified video footage of the attack circulating on social media showed two men exiting the building to get into a car followed by a large explosion as the two men remained on the pavement. Reuters could not independently verify the footage.
Kirillov, 54, is the most senior Russian military officer to be assassinated inside Russia by Ukraine and his murder is likely to prompt the Russian authorities to review security protocols for the army’s top brass.
Former President Dmitry Medvedev, now a senior Russian security official, told a meeting shown on state TV that Moscow would avenge what he called an act of terrorism.
“Law enforcement agencies must find the killers in Russia,” said Medvedev. “Everything must be done to destroy the masterminds (of the killing) who are in Kyiv. We know who these masterminds are. They are the military and political leadership of Ukraine,” he said.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, speaking to Russian news agencies, dismissed a comment from the US State Department that Washington had no connection to the killing or any prior knowledge of it.
The United States, she said, “created the Kyiv regime, sponsors it, provides money and sends weapons endlessly. The proof is clear: Washington has not once condemned a single terrorist act or planned murder committed by the Kyiv regime.”
There was no immediate comment from President Vladimir Putin.
Moscow holds Ukraine responsible for a string of high-profile assassinations on its soil designed to weaken morale and punish those Kyiv regards guilty of war crimes. Ukraine, which says Russia’s war against it poses an existential threat to the Ukrainian state, has made clear it regards such targeted killings as a legitimate tool.
Reuters photographs and video from the scene showed a shattered entrance to an apartment building with bomb-blackened bricks and the doors hanging off their hinges and what looked like two bodies lying beneath black plastic sheets on the snow.
Russia denies Ukrainian allegations it uses chemical weapons on the battlefield and Kirillov, who was married with two sons, was himself sometimes shown on state TV giving briefings at the Defense Ministry in which he accused Ukraine of violating nuclear safety protocols or the West of various alleged crimes.
Britain in October imposed sanctions on Kirillov and his nuclear defense forces for using riot control agents and over multiple reports of the use of the toxic choking agent chloropicrin on the battlefield.
Such agents, Ukraine has alleged, are used to disorient its troops, leaving them unable to defend themselves against Russian attacks.
Sergei Sitnikov, a regional Russian governor, said Kirillov was his friend and had told him he was aware of a threat against him.
“Some time ago, he told me that he had already been warned that the hunt for him had begun,” Sitnikov said in a statement, saying he believed Kyiv wanted to kill Kirillov for various reasons, including his involvement in the development and use of a heavy flamethrower system.
Kirillov was murdered a day after Ukrainian state prosecutors charged him in absentia with the alleged use of banned chemical weapons, the Kyiv Independent cited the SBU as saying.
The lieutenant general was also listed in a sprawling unofficial Ukrainian database of people considered to be enemies of the country called Myrotvorets (Peacemaker). A photograph of Kirillov on the website was overwritten with the word “Liquidated” in red letters on Tuesday morning.
Russia says Ukraine has carried out a string of targeted assassinations since the start of Moscow’s full-scale war on Ukraine in February 2022.
The most high-profile cases include the 2022 killing of Darya Dugina, the daughter of Russian nationalist ideologue Alexander Dugin, the murder of pro-war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky in a 2023 cafe bombing, and the shooting last year of a Russian submarine commander accused of war crimes by Kyiv.
Russia’s radioactive, chemical and biological defense troops, which Kirillov commanded, are special forces who operate under conditions of radioactive, chemical and biological contamination and who are tasked with protecting ground forces operating in extreme conditions.
Ukraine kills Russian chemical weapons chief Igor Kirillov in Moscow
https://arab.news/nuexp
Ukraine kills Russian chemical weapons chief Igor Kirillov in Moscow
- General was head of nuclear defense troops
- Ukraine claims responsibility for killing
Following Kashmir attack, Modi cuts short Saudi trip after talks on energy, defense
- Saudi Arabia is one of the top exporters of petroleum to India
- Modi met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman before cutting short his visit
DUBAI: Saudi Arabia and India agreed to boost cooperation in supplies of crude and liquefied petroleum gas, according to a joint statement reported by the Saudi state news agency on Wednesday following a visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which was cut short by a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Saudi Arabia is one of the top exporters of petroleum to India.
Modi met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman before cutting short his visit and returning to New Delhi after an attack on India’s Jammu and Kashmir territory which killed 26 people, the worst attack in India since the 2008 Mumbai shootings.
The two countries also agreed to deepen their defense ties and improve their cooperation in defense manufacturing, along with agreements in agriculture and food security.
“The two countries welcomed the excellent cooperation between the two sides in counter-terrorism and terror financing,” the joint statement said.
Staunchly Catholic Philippines begins period of mourning for Pope Francis
- “Pope Francis holds a special place in the hearts of the Filipino people,” Marcos said
- Francis drew a record crowd of up to seven million people at a historic Mass in Manila during a visit in 2015
MANILA: The Philippines began a period of national mourning for Pope Francis on Wednesday, with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr ordering flags on all state buildings across the staunchly Roman Catholic country to fly at half-mast to honor the pontiff.
Francis died on Monday aged 88 after suffering a stroke and cardiac arrest, the Vatican said, ending an often turbulent reign in which he repeatedly clashed with traditionalists and championed the poor and marginalized.
“Pope Francis holds a special place in the hearts of the Filipino people,” Marcos said in a presidential proclamation, adding that the period of mourning would continue until Francis’ funeral at the Vatican on Saturday.
“The passing of Pope Francis is a moment of profound sorrow for the Catholic Church and for the Filipino people, who recognize him as global leader of compassion and tireless advocate of peace, justice and human dignity,” the proclamation said.
The Philippines is home to more than 80 million Catholics, or nearly 80 percent of the population, making it one of only two majority Christian nations in Asia along with tiny East Timor.
Francis drew a record crowd of up to seven million people at a historic Mass in Manila during a visit in 2015.
Since his death on Monday, the Catholic Church has held Masses across the Philippines for Francis.
At the Baclaran Church in Manila, some worshippers on Wednesday wore shirts bearing Pope Francis’ image — leftover merchandise from his 2015 visit.
Emma Avancena, 76, who was a volunteer during the pope’s visit, said she felt sad about his death but added: “I feel blessed because we were blessed face to face, eye to eye (during the visit).”
First Indonesian Hajj pilgrims to reach Saudi Arabia next week
- Kingdom’s Makkah Route initiative will facilitate pilgrims in Jakarta, Surabaya and Solo
- Thousands of Indonesian Hajj officers will be stationed in Makkah, Madinah and Jeddah
JAKARTA: The first group of more than 1,500 Indonesian pilgrims will depart for Saudi Arabia under the Makkah Route initiative next week, as 221,000 are expected to take part in this year’s Hajj.
In 2025, the Hajj is expected to take place on June 4 and end on June 9.
Though the pilgrimage itself can be performed over five or six days, many pilgrims arrive early to make the most of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fulfill their religious duty.
“Indonesian pilgrims will start departing on May 2, and this will be our first batch,” Hilman Latief, director general of Hajj and Umrah management at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, told Arab News.
“Some of them are still in the visa processing stage, but we are optimistic that their visas will be issued before their departure … we hope that the Hajj journey this year can go smoothly, and that our pilgrims will have a comfortable and safe trip.”
Indonesia, the world’s biggest Muslim-majority nation, sends the largest Hajj contingent of pilgrims every year to perform the spiritual journey that is one of the five pillars of Islam.
Its first Hajj flights are scheduled to depart from the cities of Jakarta, Surabaya and Solo, where Indonesian pilgrims will be facilitated under Saudi Arabia’s Makkah Route initiative.
Launched in Muslim-majority countries in 2019, the program allows Hajj pilgrims to fulfill all visa, customs and health requirements in one place, at the airport of origin, and save long hours of waiting before and upon reaching the Kingdom.
When they arrive in Saudi Arabia, Indonesians will be assisted by more than 4,000 Hajj officers who are stationed in Jeddah, Madinah and Makkah.
Each batch will have four officers, including medics, helping them at all times, said Nasrullah Jasam, who heads the Indonesian Hajj Organization Committee in Saudi Arabia.
“On the ground, the officers are also divided into various sectors. They are tasked to serve the pilgrims with things related to accommodation, transportation and food,” Jasam told Arab News.
“Our Hajj officers have undergone the technical guidance in Jakarta and are now preparing for the same in Saudi Arabia … we are ready.”
Thailand to test disaster alerts after quake criticism
- The DDPM aimed to get alerts out within 10 minutes of an earthquake.
- The system will use three mobile networks to send warning messages
Bangkok: Thailand will conduct tests of a cellphone disaster alert system, senior officials said on Wednesday, after criticism that no alarm was sent after last month’s deadly Myanmar earthquake caused damage in Bangkok.
Director General of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Phasakorn Boonyalak said the Cell Broadcast System (CBS) will undergo a test run next month in localized areas including the sprawling capital, which was badly shaken by the 7.7-magnitude quake in neighboring Myanmar.
The system will use three mobile networks to send warning messages “quickly and with wide coverage, both on natural disaster and security threats,” he told a news conference.
Starting on May 2 with the smallest target area — four city hall buildings — there will be three test runs, with the third and largest drill covering the whole of Bangkok and Chiang Mai provinces on May 13.
Residents’ cellphones will get a pop-up message on their screens in Thai and English, accompanied by a siren, Phasakorn said.
The message will read: “This is a test message from Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, no action required.”
Phasakorn said it was CBS’s first public test run and that tourists on roaming networks would also receive the alert.
The DDPM aimed to get alerts out within 10 minutes of an earthquake, he said.
The March 28 quake killed more than 3,700 people in Myanmar and at least 53 in a tower block under construction in Bangkok that collapsed dramatically.
While Thailand rarely experiences such strong tremors, Bangkok often experiences heavy flooding in the rainy season.
EU slaps fines on Apple and Meta, risking Trump fury
- The fines are the first under the Digital Markets Act, which came into effect last year
- Law forces the world’s biggest tech firms to open up to competition in the EU
BRUSSELS: The EU on Wednesday slapped Apple and Meta with €700 million in fines for breaking digital competition rules, risking the wrath of US President Donald Trump.
The penalties threaten to cause more tension in the already fraught relationship between the bloc and Trump, as the two sides discuss a deal to avoid his sweeping tariffs on the EU.
The European Commission fined Apple €500 million ($570 million) after concluding the company prevented developers from steering customers outside its App Store to access cheaper deals.
The EU also fined Meta €200 million over its “pay or consent” system after it violated rules on the use of personal data on Facebook and Instagram.
The fines are the first under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which came into effect last year, forcing the world’s biggest tech firms to open up to competition in the EU.
They could rise further if Meta and Apple fail to comply within 60 days, the commission said, threatening the US giants with “periodic penalty payments.”
The EU bolstered its legal arsenal over the past two years with major twin laws, the Digital Services Act and the DMA.
But since Trump’s return to the White House, there have been concerns that the EU would shy away from enforcing them.
Trump frequently lashes out at the EU over its digital laws and taxes – claiming they are “non-tariff barriers” to trade – and many tech CEOs have aligned with his administration.
He has imposed 25-percent tariffs on steel, aluminum and auto imports from the EU, which Brussels hopes he will lift after an agreement.
Antitrust commissioner Teresa Ribera said in a statement the fines “send a strong and clear message,” insisting the bloc had taken “firm but balanced enforcement action.”
The fines – which come after the investigations began in March 2024 – also appear to be more modest than past penalties against US Big Tech.
When Apple committed similar offenses on its App Store, the commission slapped a 1.8-billion-euro fine in March 2024 under different EU rules.
Apple faces a litany of accusations. The EU also told Apple in preliminary findings it was in breach of the DMA – and therefore at risk of another hefty fine – for not making it easy for rivals to provide alternatives to its App Store.
Apple, however, slammed the decisions and said in a statement it would appeal the fine.
“Today’s announcements are yet another example of the European Commission unfairly targeting Apple in a series of decisions that are bad for the privacy and security of our users, bad for products, and force us to give away our technology for free,” the company said.
Meta accused the EU of “attempting to handicap successful American businesses while allowing Chinese and European companies to operate under different standards.”
“This isn’t just about a fine; the Commission forcing us to change our business model effectively imposes a multi-billion-dollar tariff on Meta while requiring us to offer an inferior service,” said Meta’s chief global affairs officer Joel Kaplan, a prominent Republican and Trump ally.
In a rare bit of good news for Apple, the EU closed its investigation over its user choice obligations after Apple complied with the DMA, and made it easy to select a default browser and for users to remove pre-installed apps such as Safari.
The fine against Meta concerned its “pay for privacy” system, which has faced fierce criticism by rights defenders in Europe after its introduction in November 2023.
It means users have to pay to avoid data collection, or agree to share their data with Facebook and Instagram to keep using the platforms for free.
But the commission concluded Meta did not provide Facebook and Instagram users a less personalized but equivalent version of the platforms, and “did not allow users to exercise their right to freely consent to the combination of their personal data.”
Meta in November last year proposed a new version, which the EU is currently assessing.
