The carefully calculated assassination on Tuesday morning of Lt Gen Igor Kirillov, the head of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops, was designed to spread fear and loathing.

Fear, because if Ukrainian special forces can now kill a top commander in Moscow, nobody is safe.

Loathing, because the assassination will intensify the Kremlin’s hatred of Ukraine in time for potential peace talks.

Ukraine declared Kirillov a war criminal less than 24 hours earlier for approving the use of tear gas and other banned agents against Ukrainian forces. Essentially, he had been placed on its hit list.