General’s assassination pierces Moscow’s air of normality
USEPAAppearance versus reality: the two are constantly at war in Moscow.
Despite nearly three years of war, life here seems so normal: from the crowds of commuters on the subway to the bars and clubs packed with young Muscovites.
Then, something suddenly happens to remind you: there is nothing normal in Russia today.
This “thing” could be a Ukrainian drone that breached Moscow’s air defenses.
Or – to be more dramatic – what happened on Tuesday morning: A top Russian general was targeted and assassinated as he walked out of his apartment building.
When Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov and his assistant Ilya Polikarpov Killed by a bomb hidden on an electric scooterthe reality of Russia’s war in Ukraine hit home.
At least that was the case for the Russians who were close to the crime scene.
“It’s one thing to read about it in the news and it feels so far away, but when it happens next door to you, it’s completely different and scary,” Lisa told me. She lives a building away from the explosion site.
“Until now, (the war) feels as if it’s happening far away – now people are dying and here you can feel the consequences.
“My anxiety is through the roof. Every sound you hear makes you uneasy – you wonder if it’s a drone or something on a construction site,” Lisa said.
This view of Russia’s war in Ukraine is distant – something I hear a lot here. My sense is that, for a significant number of people, this is a war they only experience on their television screens or smartphones. In many ways, this is a virtual war.
Considering the number of casualties, it was truly shocking.
But a Russian general was killed in Moscow: it was definitely a wake-up call; proof that this war is very real and very close to home.
Will this set off alarm bells for the Russian authorities?
Probably not. There is little sign that the Kremlin has made a U-turn on Ukraine. Moscow is more likely to escalate the war.
Just look at the signs.
In response to the news of Kirillov’s killing, the host of a political talk show on Russian state television blamed Ukraine and claimed that “with this attack, President Zelensky signed his own death sentence.”
Former Russian President Medvedev said that “investigators must find the murderer in Russia.” “We must do everything we can to destroy their patrons in Kiev,” he added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has so far not publicly reacted to the killing of the general and his aides.
But the Kremlin leader has said many times before that Russia “will always respond” in the face of security threats.
Based on this commitment, retaliation is likely.
On Thursday, Kremlin leaders will hold their annual year-end news conference and conference call. This is usually a marathon event broadcast live on all major television channels.
I wonder: Will he use this incident to comment on the dramatic assassination of Kirillov in the early hours of the morning?
Will he break his silence on Syria? The Russian president has so far said nothing publicly about the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Moscow’s key ally in the Middle East.
As the war in Ukraine – which Putin still calls a “special military operation” – approaches the three-year mark, how will he tell Russians where their country is headed?
