During a daring operation carried out by Ukraine’s law enforcement agencies, a Russian Lieutenant Colonel Gen. Igor Anatolyevich Kirillov was brutally slain in the heart of Moscow, allegedly by means of a repurposed electric kick scooter, its metallic sole transformed into a deadly instrument of murder.
As a decorated veteran, Kirillov held the distinguished position of leading the Russian army’s elite forces specializing in chemical, organic, and nuclear defense at the time of his passing. According to reports, he was responsible for deploying the poisonous gas chloropicrin during Russia’s conflict with Ukraine, an act considered a war crime by the Chemical Weapons Convention.
According to reports, Kirillov and his assistant lost their lives in a tragic explosion that occurred outside a residential building in Moscow on Tuesday morning, caused by a bomb detonated near an electric scooter.
The damage from the explosion was largely contained within a localized area around the blast site, suggesting a relatively limited scale of explosives and a targeted attack aimed primarily at Kirillov. Police officials assert that the blast appeared to have been triggered remotely.
Eyewitnesses claimed to have spotted a scooter propped against the wall mere moments before the explosion, a familiar scene in the area that likely wouldn’t have raised any alarms.
In video footage captured mere moments before the explosion, an electrical scooter was spotted at the site, with authorities later seen collecting the scorched remains of a scooter from the scene in a plastic bag, as they processed the area.
Newly released dashcam footage reveals the explosion’s source: a black electric scooter situated against a wall where it was previously parked.
In recent times, Ukraine has adopted an unconventional approach to transportation, embracing the widespread adoption of micro-mobility vehicles similar to electric scooters, e-bikes, and e-motorcycles. Small-scale electric vehicles have been utilised by Ukraine in various military operations during the ongoing conflict, which saw a significant escalation following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukrainian territory?
It has been reported that Ukrainian company Delfast’s electric bicycles have been repurposed as makeshift platforms for transporting NLAW rockets, which are designed to take out Russian tanks. Unobtrusive and stealthy, the 50 mph (80 km/h) off-road electric bikes excel at hauling heavy loads through rugged terrain while maintaining a low noise and warmth profile, rendering them virtually undetectable.
Ukrainian forces have leveraged electric bicycles as a novel means of deploying sniper teams discreetly on the frontlines, enabling soldiers to establish themselves swiftly and securely without compromising their positional awareness.
Ukrainian troops have leveraged innovative means of transportation, utilizing small electric boats and kayaks to maintain mobility along rivers and narrow waterways, demonstrating their adaptability in the face of evolving battlefield dynamics.
While Russia has also utilized unconventional vehicles, albeit to a significantly less significant extent. Despite its golf cart-mounted troops struggling to make headway when attempting to breach Ukrainian positions earlier this year, Russia has also started evaluating the potential of electric bicycles for military applications in a wartime scenario.
Lead picture: A cutting-edge representation of artificial intelligence; second picture: Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons; third picture: Photo from the vast repository at Wikimedia Commons
