Russia Minister Calls Times Editors "Legit Military Targets" Over Editorial

The editors of the British newspaper The Times are "miserable jackals" and "legitimate military targets", Dmitry Medvedev, the Deputy Head of Russia's Security Council, has said. The statement came in response to the English daily's editorial on the assassination of Russian General Igor Kirillov carried out by Ukrainian forces.

The Times editorial referred to the killing of Lt Gen Kirillov as "a legitimate act of defence." The assassination marked the highest-ranking Russian military official killed away from the frontlines since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago.

"Those who carry out crimes against Russia ... always have accomplices. They too are now legitimate military targets. This category could also include the miserable jackals from The Times who cowardly hid behind their editorial. That means the entire leadership of the publication," Mr Medvedev wrote in a post on his Telegram channel.

In a veiled threat, Mr Medvedev suggested journalists at The Times to "be careful," warning that "anything goes in London."

The UK government condemned Mr Medvedev's comments. UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy described the threats as a "gangster threat" that "smacks of desperation." He said on X, "Our newspapers represent the best of British values: freedom, democracy, and independent thinking."

Russia's Medvedev's gangster threat against Times journalists smacks of desperation.

Our newspapers represent the best of British values: freedom, democracy and independent thinking. I stand with @thetimes. pic.twitter.com/L6jscmESgn

— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) December 18, 2024

A spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer also reacted, labelling Medvedev's remarks as part of a series of "desperate rhetoric" from the Kremlin. The spokesperson emphasised, "Unlike in Russia, a free press is a cornerstone of our democracy, and we take any threats made by Russia incredibly seriously."

Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov was killed by a bomb hidden in an electric scooter outside an apartment building on Ryazansky Prospekt in Moscow on Tuesday, according to Russia's investigative committee. Kirillov, along with his assistant, died in the explosion, which occurred about seven km southeast of the Kremlin. The investigative committee confirmed the deaths, saying, "Igor Kirillov, the head of the radiation, chemical, and biological protection forces of the armed forces of the Russian Federation, and his assistant were killed."

Photographs from the scene shared on Russian Telegram channels showed a shattered building entrance, debris scattered across the area, and two bodies lying in blood-stained snow. Reuters footage showed a police cordon in place, and a criminal investigation has been initiated.

Kirillov led Russia's RKhBZ, an elite force specialising in operations under radioactive, chemical, and biological contamination. On Monday, Ukrainian prosecutors charged him in absentia with allegedly using banned chemical weapons in Ukraine, a claim Russia denies.

In October, the UK imposed sanctions on Kirillov and his forces for their reported use of riot control agents and toxic chemicals, such as chloropicrin, on the battlefield.