The killing of a Russian general is one of several that Moscow blames on Ukraine

Ukraine’s Security Service, or SBU, has claimed responsibility for killing Lt. General Igor Kirillov, head of the military’s nuclear, biological and chemical protection forces, in a bombing Tuesday in Moscow.

Kirillov, 54, was killed alongside his assistant, Ilya Polikarpov, when a bomb planted on a scooter exploded outside an apartment block.

An official with the SBU said the agency was behind the attack. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information, described Kirillov as a “war criminal and an entirely legitimate target.” On Monday, Kirillov was charged in absentia by the SBU for ”ordering the use of banned chemical weapons against Ukraine’s Defense Forces.”

Russia has accused Ukraine of carrying out other high-profile attacks throughout the nearly 3-year-old war. Kyiv has hinted at its involvement but Ukrainian officials have stopped short of publicly claiming responsibility.