Ukraine Dares Putin

Sends a loud and clear message to Putin’s elites: No war criminal is safe.

When was the last time Western media gave Ukraine a prominent spot on the front page? Not when Russia launched hundreds of missiles at Ukraine on December 13, targeting energy infrastructure. Not when DPRK troops joined Russian forces in Kursk in early November. The front page has been out of space for a while. But that silence ended today.

One reason global media has focused on the attack on Russian General Igor Kirillov is that, for the first time since the war began, Ukraine has openly claimed responsibility. That was unusual. That was new. It wasn’t a coded message. It was a direct signal — to Putin, the oligarchs who continue to support him, the elites, and the KGB alike.

Kirillov, 54, was the head of the Russian Armed Forces’ radiation, chemical, and biological defense troops.

The Syrian dictator, Bashar al-Assad, earned the nickname “Chemical Assad” for a reason. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has documented more than 390 allegations of chemical weapons use in Syria since its investigation began in 2014.

But Assad didn’t become a chemical weapons expert on his own. Even if he had, he couldn’t have perfected the use of airpower to deploy these weapons against his own people without help. Every time the international community tried to investigate chemical attacks, Russia would intervene — blocking experts from accessing sites and deflecting blame.

There’s no need to read between the lines because nothing is hidden. Kirillov was the head of Russia’s chemical warfare division.

• Since 2022, over 2,000 Ukrainian service members have been hospitalized for chemical poisoning, and three have died, Ukrainian Colonel Artem Vlasiuk reported earlier this week.
• According to the SBU’s investigation, chemical weapons have been used in over 4,800 cases since the full-scale invasion began.
• In October, the U.K. sanctioned Kirillov and his unit for using chemical weapons on the battlefield in Ukraine.

On December 16, Ukrainian prosecutors, according to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), charged Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov-in absentia for deploying banned chemical weapons in Ukraine.

Just 24 hours after the charge, Kirillov was killed in an attack in Moscow. As a general, he would have lived in highly secure quarters reserved for top Russian military personnel, yet Ukraine still managed to strike him.

Putin can’t hide this from his people. The attack occurred in Moscow, and every news channel, even foreign ones, is airing footage — most of it coming from Russian media and local sources. Western media has also pushed the story to the forefront. Anticipating the Kremlin’s usual denial, Ukraine took responsibility for the attack, likely knowing they’d claim Kirill “accidentally tripped on a leaf” and died.

This is international shame.

It’s a major problem for Putin, who is now exposed as someone unable to protect his own generals on his own turf.

Once again, Putin’s red lines are exposed. He did nothing when Ukraine struck Moscow with drones. Nothing when Ukraine attacked refineries. Nothing when Ukraine invaded Kursk. Nothing when ATACMS missiles hit Russian territory. Now, there’s nothing he can do in response to this brazen attack on his own soil. He’ll likely rely on his spin masters in the Kremlin or resort to the “let’s not talk about it and hope it fades” approach.

It will be difficult for the international community to blame Ukraine for this attack, as this general has already been sanctioned by the West for violating international conventions. For years, it’s been known that he was behind the chemical attacks in Syria and the assaults on Ukrainian soldiers. To preempt any international condemnation, Ukraine released data on Russia’s chemical attacks just one day before ordering the strike.

This shows that Ukraine knew exactly where the general was and where he would be the following day. That sends a powerful message — a message that likely sent a chill through the Russian army and the entire security apparatus.

Thanks for reading. The war is getting closer to the end. Now, more than ever, it’s crucial to make critical information about Ukraine accessible. That’s why I’ve made 340 stories available to the public in 2024, including this one.