MOSCOW, December 20. /TASS/. Russia struck the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) control center in Kiev in retaliation for the killing of Chief of Russia’s Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection Troops, Lieutenant-General Igor Kirillov, along with his aide, military analyst Igor Korotchenko told TASS.

"The strike against the SBU control center is undoubtedly a retaliatory action for the assassination of the Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection Troops’ Chief, Lieutenant-General Igor Kirillov, which was orchestrated and executed by this service. This is a justifiable measure that complies with international law and, most importantly, addresses Russian civilians’ demands for justice," said the editor-in-chief of National Defense magazine.

Earlier in the morning, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that Russian forces responded to Kiev’s attack on the Rostov Region by conducting a coordinated strike on the SBU control center, the Luch design bureau, and a Patriot anti-aircraft missile system position. The objectives of the operation were successfully accomplished, with all targets neutralized.

The ministry clarified that Ukraine launched a missile strike against the Kamensky Integrated Plant in the Rostov Region using six US-made ATACMS missiles and four Storm Shadow cruise missiles.

According to investigators, on the morning of December 17, an explosive device concealed in an electric scooter detonated near the entrance of a residential building on Ryazansky Avenue in Moscow. The explosion claimed the lives of Igor Kirillov and his aide. The Russian Investigative Committee has classified the incident as a terrorist attack, with an investigation currently underway.

The Russian Federal Security Service announced the apprehension of the suspect behind the assassination, an Uzbek national. The agency stated that the individual was offered $100,000 and residence in an EU nation as compensation.