Russia Accuses Ukraine of Directing Moscow Shooting of Top Military Intelligence Officer
In a significant escalation of accusations, Russia stated on Monday that a gunman who shot and wounded a senior Russian military intelligence officer in Moscow last week was acting under direct orders from Kyiv. The incident underscores the ongoing shadow war accompanying Moscow's nearly four-year military offensive in Ukraine.
Details of the Attack and Accusations
The targeted officer, high-ranking General Vladimir Alekseyev, was shot multiple times in the lobby of his apartment building in Moscow and subsequently hospitalized. Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) identified the assailant as Russian citizen Lyubomir Korba, born in 1960. According to the FSB, Korba carried out the attack "on the orders of Ukraine's SBU" security services after being recruited and trained in Ukraine.
The FSB provided a detailed account, alleging that Korba was recruited in Ternopil, Ukraine, last year. He then entered Russia via Moldova and Georgia. The agency claimed he was promised $30,000 for the assassination. "On the day of the assassination, Korba got into the building where the military man lived, waited until he appeared in the lift lobby and shot four times," the FSB stated.
International Arrest and Broader Conspiracy Alleged
In a development highlighting the international dimension of the case, Moscow announced over the weekend that a Russian man in his 60s—identified as Korba—was arrested in Dubai and handed over to Russian authorities. The FSB further alleged that Korba's son, who resides in Poland, was involved in his recruitment process.
The security service also named two alleged accomplices: Viktor Vasin and Zinaida Serebritskaya. In a politically charged accusation, the FSB claimed Vasin is a supporter of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, attempting to link domestic dissent to foreign-backed violence.
Context of Attacks and Official Admissions
This event is part of a concerning pattern. There has been a string of assassinations and attempts on Russian army officials on Russian soil since the conflict in Ukraine began. While Ukraine has publicly claimed responsibility for some operations behind enemy lines, it has explicitly denied involvement in the attempt on General Alekseyev's life.
The Kremlin itself admitted last week that Russian army officials are under threat during the ongoing offensive, a rare public acknowledgment of the vulnerabilities and covert warfare extending into Russia's heartland. This case, with its cross-border recruitment, international travel route, and arrest in a third country, exemplifies the complex and shadowy nature of this protracted conflict.
