Soldiers take the lead in fighting against weapons of mass destruction
As commander of the Russian radiological, chemical and biological Defense Forces, responsible for protecting soldiers and civilians from chemical, biological and radioactive weapons, Lieutenant General Kirillov played an important role in military investigations related to sensitive events.
According to RT, since taking this position in 2017, he has chaired more than 40 press conferences, providing sharp analysis not only to Russian officials but also to the public.
Accusations of using chemical weapons have become a tool in Western foreign policy, and General Kirillov has always been at the forefront of refuting these allegations, from Syria to allegations related to Ukraine and the Western chemical weapons program.
Syria: The first front of accusations
The war in Syria marked a turning point in chemical weapons allegations, when former US President Barack Obama declared that the Syrian government had used chemical weapons against the opposition, crossing the "red line".
With Russian mediation, the Damascus government agreed to destroy its entire chemical weapons stockpile in 2013.
However, new allegations continue to emerge, with the West blaming the Syrian army, while Russia insists these are fake actions by the opposition. Mr Kirillov has criticized the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) for being dominated by the West and refusing to investigate the site in Syria on the grounds of "security".
The 2018 chemical attack in Douma city was the focus of controversy, when OPCW scientists accused the organization's leadership of distorting the investigation results to blame the Syrian government. Mr. Kirillov detailed the Russian military's conduct of hundreds of chemical weapons traces in Syria, proving the unreasonableness of the allegations.
The "Novichok" incident and the story in Salisbury
In 2018, the West accused Russia of using the chemical poison Novichok to assassinate former agent Andrey Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, England. While the Russian civil authorities have denied it, Mr Kirillov pointed out that Western countries, including the UK, have the capacity to develop similar toxic chemicals.
General Kirillov also stressed the irresponsibility of Vil Mirzayanov, a scientist who publicly disclosed the formula for making Novichok after migrating to the US, creating a risk of spreading the dangerous poison.
Ukraine and the US-backed biological laboratory network
Since the conflict in Ukraine broke out in 2022, Kirillov has published many reports on the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Ukrainian army and a US-funded biological laboratory network.
He revealed that the US had removed about 16,000 samples from Ukraine and destroyed much of the evidence, but Russia had seized some important documents. These documents show that the Pentagon-funded laboratories could serve a purpose far beyond studying natural threats, as Washington claims.
The general with the "open mask"
In October 2023, the UK imposed sanctions on Kirillov, accusing him of being behind chemical attacks in Ukraine - something Russia has strongly denied. Just hours before the assassination on December 17, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) issued a formal indictment against him, calling him a war criminal.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova praised Kirillov as a general with an "open mask", the head of the radiological, chemical and biological defense forces, which are associated with the image of a toxic protection mask but are ready to publicly "expos the crime", those who dare to "face the truth without fear, for the Fatherland and the truth".
