Founder of Russia’s NBC Protection Troops Shot Himself in Moscow

Retired Colonel General Stanislav Petrov — founder of Russia’s Radiological, Chemical, and Biological Defense forces, who played a key role in developing the TOS-1 Buratino heavy flamethrower system — was found dead in an apartment in central Moscow.

The Russian media outlet “Gazeta.ru” reported on the general’s suicide.

His body was discovered by his relatives around 7 a.m. on May 2. According to preliminary reports, he took his own life. A pistol was found near the general’s body. The former military commander was 87 years old.

What is Stanislav Petrov known for

Stanislav Petrov was born in 1939 and graduated with honors from the Saratov Military Chemical School at the age of 20. He then joined the chemical troops. In 1986, Petrov became the first deputy commander of the chemical troops of the Soviet Armed Forces and, in this capacity, participated in the cleanup of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

He subsequently became the last commander of the Soviet Union’s NBC Protection Troops and the first commander of Russia’s NBC Protection Troops. He held this position until 2001.

He made a significant personal contribution to the development, adoption into service by the Russian Army, and the launch of serial production of flamethrowers, incendiary weapons, and aerosol munitions.

In particular, General Petrov played a key role in the emergence of the heavy flamethrower system TOS-1 Buratino. Although he was not its designer, it was Petrov who initiated the deployment of two experimental TOS-1 Buratino units to Afghanistan for combat operations.

Field tests demonstrated the high effectiveness of thermobaric munitions, which, according to his vision, could also be used for peaceful purposes — for example, to combat avalanches or fires.

As a reminder, in December 2024 in Moscow, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, commander of the Russian Army’s Radiological, Chemical, and Biological Defense forces, died in an explosion. His assistant was also killed.

The explosion occurred around 6 a.m. local time on Tuesday, December 17, near a residential building on Ryazansky Prospekt in Moscow, as the men were leaving the building.

According to investigators, the explosive device was planted in an electric scooter parked near the entrance. The explosion blew out the building’s entrance door and shattered windows in apartments from the first to the fourth floor.

The day before, the Security Service of Ukraine reported that it had charged Igor Kirillov with ordering the use of chemical weapons against the Ukrainian Armed Forces.