assassination in moscow heightens kremlin's internal fears

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Gen. Kirillov and his assistant Major Ilya Polikarpov were killed in an explosion on Tuesday morning in Moscow; the bomb was hidden in an electric scooter. The BBC noted that this was well thought out, as such vehicles are common on Moscow's streets and do not attract attention. According to Ukrainian media, the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) was behind the attack.

After the murder of General Igor Kirillov, the commander of the radiological, chemical, and biological defence of the Russian army, uncertainty spread among the Kremlin elites. Many people began to worry about who would be next. Sergej Sumlenny, a German expert on Eastern Europe, believes that Ukrainians watch with satisfaction as the Russian president undermines his own army.

There are even speculations that the next target of the Ukrainian special services could be the Kremlin's leader himself - reads in Onet.

Jakub Janda, director of the Prague think tank European Values Center for Security Policy, believes that Putin is not in direct danger from Ukraine. "Well-developed precautionary measures" are protecting the Russian president. Janda emphasizes that the attack in Moscow is a signal for Russians involved in war crimes.

Jessica Berlin from the European Policy Analysis Center claims that Putin fears for his life daily. - It's not without reason that he has body doubles, food tasters, and his infamous large conference table - says Berlin. Ukraine's ability to infiltrate Russia increases Putin's paranoia and his distrust of his own nation.

Increasingly frequent Ukrainian attacks in Russian cities raise questions about whether the services can guarantee the safety of Kremlin dignitaries - noted the BBC, which described the assassination of Gen. Igor Kirillov.

"The fact that Ukrainian intelligence can eliminate a general (...) in front of his home in southeastern Moscow raises questions about security in the Russian Federation" - we read.

The BBC also recalled the successful bombing of Daria Dugina, the daughter of Alexander Dugin, who is considered the co-creator of Putin's ideology.

A bomb was planted under the car that Daria Dugina was driving. Russians claim that the attack was carried out by 43-year-old Natalia Vovk, who came to Russia from Donetsk. Along with another Ukrainian, she rented a garage where they built the bomb that blew up Dugin's car. Vovk and her accomplice left Russia the day before the explosion.

Source: Onet/Bild/PAP