General Igor Kirillov's Assassination: “Ukrainians have shown their adversary's vulnerability” (Igor Delanoë)
The deputy director of the Franco-Russian observatory and associate researcher at IRIS (Institute of International and Strategic Relations), Igor Delanoë, explains that the Ukrainians have been “engaged in targeted eliminations” for two years now.
Last week, on December 17, Russian general Igor Kirillov was killed in the explosion of a booby-trapped electric scooter. The Ukrainian security service, or SBU, claimed responsibility for the assassination, accusing Igor Kirillov of having ordered the use of chemical weapons against the Ukrainian armed forces. As 20 Minutes points out, the Ukrainian authorities are thus publicly getting rid of a symbol of Russian oppression.
According to Igor Delanoë, the objective of the Ukrainian authorities takes several forms. “This assassination allows them first to display the vulnerability of their adversary and, therefore, to cause a psychological effect,” he points out.
The researcher also questions the ease with which Igor Kirillov was able to be killed. “It's astonishing to see that nearly three years after the start of the conflict, Russia is still suffering from such negligence. Igor Kirillov was clearly not subject to special protection measures. He had no close guard.” The images of the attack are clear: the high-ranking officer leaves his building accompanied solely by his secretary.
(MH with Manon Pierre - Source: 20 Minutes - Illustration: Unsplash)