MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. Chief of Russia’s Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection Troops Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov made a serious contribution into Russia’s security, defense and combat readiness, the Russian Defense Ministry said in an obituary, published by its Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper.

"Kirillov made a serious contribution into the Russian Federation’s security, into the development of its Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection Troops and their combat readiness, into the effort to develop modern weapons and military hardware, and into the training of officers," the obituary says.

"He became a true mentor for many young specialists, inspiring their research and efforts to put new ideas into practice," it says.

In the morning of December 17, an explosive device planted in a scooter exploded near the entrance of a residential building on Ryazansky Avenue in Moscow. Kirillov, 54, and his aide were killed in the blast. The Russian Investigative Committee classified the explosion as a terrorist attack.