in february 2022. a senior russian general killed by a bomb in moscow — and less than ten kilometres from the kremlin. kyiv claim responsibility. a warning to the russian leadership they will be hunted for war crimes committed in ukraine. we will look at the unit that was behind it and the tactics that are being employed. also tonight, a ceasefire in gaza is getting nearer, but still final details to be hammered out. and the special relationship the british government is not so keen on. nigel farage in talks with elon musk at mar a lago. good evening. the kremlin has tonight called the killing of a russian general in moscow an act of terrorism, and vowed to take revenge. ukraine's security services say they were behind an attack which killed

lieutenant general igor kirillov — he was killed by a bomb hidden in a scooter outside an apartment building. he had been accused of using chemical weapons on the battlefield. dmitry medvedev, the deputy chairman of the russian security council, said those responsible must be eradicated. our russia editor steve rosenberg sent this report from moscow: being filmed from a car opposite, a russian general and his assistant. here, what appears to be a scooter — we will come back to that. what followed was a giant explosion, with deadly consequences. the two men were killed, a moscow apartment block was now a crime scene. investigators sifted through the debris, searching for clues. later, a spokesperson for russia's investigative committee revealed the bomb had been hidden on the scooter, a terrorist attack, she called it. it was the targeted assassination of this man.

lieutenant general igor kirillov was chief of russia's radiation, chemical and biological protection forces. only yesterday, ukraine had reportedly charged him in absentia for his alleged use of chemical weapons in the war. the general was known for making wild accusations against the west. he once claimed that america was plotting to infect russian troops with malaria, by releasing mosquitoes from drones. in october, the foreign office sanctioned him, calling him a significant mouthpiece for kremlin disinformation. russian state tv said that with today's attack, president zelensky signed his own death sentence. the former kremlin leader dmitry medvedev called for the killers to be tracked down in russia. "we must do everything" he said, to try the patrons who are in kyiv.

for local residents who may have heard the blast, there is a sense of shock. for many muscovites, even after nearly three years of war, russia's war in ukraine is something that is happening a long way away from here, something they see on tv or in their phones, but the killing of a general here in moscow, that is a wake up call, and a sign that this war is very real and close to home. lisa who lives close by says she is scared. "when this kind of thing happens notjust in your home town," she says, "or your own neighbourhood but in the building opposite, that is shocking." there's been no reaction yet from president putin, but the expectation is that after such a high—profile killing in the russian capital, moscow will retaliate. yaroslav trofimov is the chief foreign affairs correspondent for the wall streetjournal. he is also the author

of "our enemies will vanish — russia's invasion and ukraine's war of independence". thank you for being with us. we can see from the pictures in steve's package that this was a man who was known to president putin, how close was he in the inner circle? in putin, how close was he in the inner circle?— inner circle? in the meeting attended — inner circle? in the meeting attended by _ inner circle? in the meeting attended by birth _ inner circle? in the meeting attended by birth and - inner circle? in the meeting - attended by birth and imputing, he was there just yesterday, the very same date where the ukrainian government indicted him for alleged war crimes in using chemical weapons, chemical irritants on the front nine in ukraine.— nine in ukraine. the pace and reach of these _ nine in ukraine. the pace and reach of these assassinations| reach of these assassinations in cash are increasing, thus week it was an official reportedly involved in upgrading of cruise missiles were shot in his home. what do you make of the tactics being used in moscow? it’s

you make of the tactics being used in moscow?— used in moscow? it's our various _ used in moscow? it's our various branches - used in moscow? it's our various branches of - used in moscow? it's our various branches of the l various branches of the ukrainian intelligence, and it's part of a broader pattern. ukrainian officials realise it is impossible to win the war in ukraine the 50s confines ukraine, and they're trying to bring the war to russia that is why president zelensky authorise the invasion of the cursed region and they are using drones and missiles into military and other infrastructure in russia, which is why there is a growing number of assassinations on russian soil, in addition to the general, one of the leaders of the russian whose missile programme would also senior officers and intelligence officials, all part of your company and to bring the war to russia so that the russians also feel the results of this three—year—old conflict that is being felt by every ukrainian.

there is a certain flamboyance, in a way, to the methods that they are using, they are very public in the way they execute some of these assassinations, highly covert operations, it is much in the style of the israeli intelligence services, my side. israeli intelligence services, m side. , israeli intelligence services, m side. ., my side. yes and no, if you look at _ my side. yes and no, if you look at the _ my side. yes and no, if you look at the casualties - my side. yes and no, if you look at the casualties from | my side. yes and no, if you i look at the casualties from the ukrainian attacks, it is very rare that we actually have civilians, an assistant —— in a sense bystanders. the assassination today of the general only killed him and his assistants, bodyguards and no civilians as far as you know have been injured, but yes it is true that the ukrainian subbing washing how my side in his campaign, like in lebanon has managed to change the trajectory of the conflict in the middle east. i saw the

commander of the ukrainian military intelligence, and one is —— one of the books on his desk was attacks from the israeli mossad. 50 desk was attacks from the israeli mossad.— desk was attacks from the israeli mossad. so they are actually learning _ israeli mossad. so they are actually learning from - israeli mossad. so they are | actually learning from them israeli mossad. so they are - actually learning from them and trying to replicate the way in which they targeted the upper —— echelons was a mark there learn? -- echelons was a mark there learn? , . . ., learn? they are learning from them and _ learn? they are learning from them and learning _ learn? they are learning from them and learning from - learn? they are learning from them and learning from their| them and learning from their mistakes, and so far we have not seen the issue with civilians being killed. i5 not seen the issue with civilians being killed. is it possible _ civilians being killed. is it possible to _ civilians being killed. is it possible to do _ civilians being killed. is it possible to do all - civilians being killed. is it possible to do all of - civilians being killed. is it possible to do all of this. possible to do all of this without help from the inside? i think the ukrainian intelligence has a network of agents and sympathisers deeply embedded inside russia, and part of it is ideological, there are a number of russians, a small minority in russia, that are deeply opposed to putting the�*s were in ukraine, the feel of the ukrainian cause is the right cause, and they are willing to risk arrest and

death to help the ukrainian. some of the russians have gone over to ukraine tojoin some of the russians have gone over to ukraine to join the ukrainian literary and many others are engaging notjust in acts of assassination but sabotage, just like explosions on railways, just the other day we saw a russian fighterjet being torched in not russian airfield in the caucuses, so these acts are becoming complex in russia. . . ., ., in russia. yaroslav trofimov, thank you _ in russia. yaroslav trofimov, thank you for _ in russia. yaroslav trofimov, thank you for being _ in russia. yaroslav trofimov, thank you for being with - in russia. yaroslav trofimov, thank you for being with us. | peter dickinson, editor of ukrainealert at the atlantic council. thank you for being on the programme tonight. clearly the motivation here is obvious, they are trying to demoralise those on whom the war directly depends, and you would think it is creating some paranoia within the general command. absolutely, the idea here is to send a very clear message to everyone in the hierarchy of russia, the political hierarchy or military hierarchy, that you

are not safe, these attacks took place fairly centrally in the heart of moscow about a very senior member of the military so it does not get much higher than that. so they r clearly indicates into the russians that they will be held to account. ukraine is not going to wait for some long—winded international tribunals, they are going to exact revenge as and when they wish, and they are going to do so even in the heart of moscow, so even in the heart of moscow, so this will spread panic, one would assume, within the kremlin and the hierarchy of russia and personally embarrassing for putin. d0 russia and personally embarrassing for putin. do you think they _ embarrassing for putin. do you think they set _ embarrassing for putin. do you think they set their _ embarrassing for putin. do you think they set their ambitions l think they set their ambitions higher because there is talk of a negotiation coming up? are they trying to get to as many constituencies as they can in russia to try to fourth —— force the issue? i russia to try to fourth -- force the issue?- russia to try to fourth -- force the issue? i think an operation _ force the issue? i think an operation like _ force the issue? i think an operation like this - force the issue? i think an operation like this would l force the issue? i think an l operation like this would be long in the planning, not typing overnight, so i'm not sure it is directly related to the prospects of talks on the

horizon. ukraine has been very open, president zelensky and other officials have said many times they would hold russians accountable and that they will face justice for the crimes they committed in ukraine, so while it is grabs a way of undermining show morale at this point, it is something belonging to do, and i think they have been planning it for some time, they have been monitoring and preparing. the former russian _ monitoring and preparing. the former russian president, dmitry medvedev that if, has stepped up the rhetoric tonight. one would anticipate that there'll be quite a response coming in the next few days. response coming in the next few da s. ., , , , . response coming in the next few das. .,, ., days. for sure, russia would have to respond, _ days. for sure, russia would have to respond, they - days. for sure, russia would have to respond, they would | have to respond, they would have to respond, they would have to respond, they would have to be seen to respond, which is also part of ukraine's calculus, but the idea of restraint from ukraine's perspective is kind of difficult for ukrainians to understand the concept these days, they are facing what they believe is a genocidal war,

more than 10 million people displaced and hundreds of thousands killed an entire cities and towns through the east and south reduced to rubble, so ukrainians are not thinking in terms of fear of escalation from the russian side, that is something that comes from ukraine's western allies. from the ukrainian point of view, the emphasis is on striking back and bringing the work to russia and seen that can not have impunity in a second them without it being brought back on them, so there would be some attempts at from a russian response, but as far as ukraine is concerned, that is to be expected and nothing new. , ., , u, , is to be expected and nothing new. , ., , . new. our previous case made the oint that new. our previous case made the point that you cannot _ new. our previous case made the point that you cannot do - point that you cannot do something on this scale and in repeated function without some help on the inside. would you imagine that as part of the investigation the russians will be no looking at their own and people within that inner circle? ~ , ., ., circle? absolutely, one would assume there _

circle? absolutely, one would assume there would - circle? absolutely, one would assume there would not - circle? absolutely, one would assume there would not be i circle? absolutely, one would assume there would not be a| assume there would not be a furious debate within russia, and perhaps a witch hunts, perhaps they will be chasing shadows, it also paranoia, there will be looking at each other and wondering who is leaking information. this was a very seniorfigure. his security, one would assume, is

we could be moving closer to a ceasefire deal in gaza. hamas say the ceasefire talks in qatar aimed at a truce and a hostage—prisoner exchange are "serious and positive". an israeli negotiating team has arrived for talks in qatar with hopes growing that a deal could be signed in the next few days. though of course we have been here before. and final details of the negotiations are always the hardest. there is pressure from washington, not least from the president elect donald trump who has warned hamas �*all hell will be break�* out if the hostages are not released by the inauguration. as you know, i gave warning that if these hostages are not back home by that date, all hell is going to break—out, i am very strong.

break—out, and very strong. well, they are going to have to determine what that means but it means it won't be pleasant. and yet the talks do appear to be based on the deal president biden was pushing in may. the palestinians say there are three—phases to it. civilians and women soldiers held hostage in gaza would be released in the first 45 days, with israeli forces pulling out of the city centres and the coastal road. the israels would also release hundreds of palestinian prisoners. critically, hamas appears to have shifted on allowing the israeli troops to remain, in that initial phase, in the key philadelphi and netzarim corridors. there would then be a second mechanism for displaced gazans to be able to return to the north of the territory, before the third and final stage that would end the war. the remaining hostages freed and troops withdrawn. of 96 hostages still held in gaza, 62 of them are assumed by israel to still be alive. here's the us state department spokesman matthew miller. i think cautious optimism is a fear way to characterise

it, though very much tempered by realism, tempered by the realism of the past several months where we have been close before, where you have heard us describe this as being inside the ten yard line, then finding those last ten yards are the most difficult because, for various reasons, the two parties have not agreed to a final deal, so here's what i would say about it. we continue to engage with the mediators, the mediators continue to engage with hamas and israel. based on the remaining issues, we should be able to get to an agreement. we should be able to bridge the disagreements between the two parties. but that is not to say that we will because, again, there have been times before where we have been close and we thought the differences were bridgeable, and ultimately we did not get a deal. as you've heard me say before, all the united states can do is push and try to come up with compromises, but we cannot dictate to either side what choice they have to make. they have to make those decisions for themselves.

let's speak tojoanne cummings, senior fellow on national security at the middle east institute and former senior us diplomat. hamas is at its weakest point. a lot of the infrastructure in gaza has been demolished and is been the longer they wait, the worse the terms will be, do you get a sense that they are shifting and that the deal could be in reach? i shifting and that the deal could be in reach?- shifting and that the deal could be in reach? i am glad to be here- _ could be in reach? i am glad to be here- we — could be in reach? i am glad to be here. we need _ could be in reach? i am glad to be here. we need to _ could be in reach? i am glad to| be here. we need to remember could be in reach? i am glad to i be here. we need to remember is that both sides, hamas and the of the israelis are dealing with internal issues and hamas is pretty much weekend which doesn't necessarily make it easier to reach an agreement thatis easier to reach an agreement that is implementable and sustainable. in other words, who is going to speak for everyone who is going to say, all right, the rest of you, stand down on this. that's one problem to consider. the other is, it's all a question of the definitions. if there are releases from hostages according to the criteria set out and if palestinians have been held by the israelis are

also released, are they going to be released in gaza? are they going to be released to they going to be released to the west bank? are they going to be released to palestinian custody? what is going to be acceptable to hamas in order for it to say all right, everyone, 1532 00:18:17,235 -->