On February 8, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) confirmed that it had arrested suspects related to the failed assassination attempt against Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev - First Deputy Director General of the Russian General Department of Defense Intelligence (GRU) - in a shocking attack that occurred right in Moscow.
According to official information, the incident occurred on June 6. 2 outside Mr. Alekseyev's residence. The senior intelligence general was shot 3 times from behind, hitting his back, and was taken to the emergency room immediately afterwards.
The health status of Mr. Alekseyev has not been announced in detail by the Russian side, but the attack immediately placed the Moscow security system on high alert.
In a statement issued on February 8, the FSB said that the direct shooter was Lyubomir Korba (65 years old) - a Russian citizen. After committing the crime, Korba left Russian territory and was arrested in Dubai with the support of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government, before being handed over to the Russian side for investigation.
The FSB also identified accomplices in the incident. Among them, Viktor Vasin (66 years old) - a Russian citizen - was arrested in Moscow. Another suspect, Zinaida Serebritskaya (54 years old), is accused of fleeing to Ukraine immediately after the attack.
Russian security agencies also released a video recording the escape of the shooting suspect. In the clip, a man leaves the building where the assassination occurred, throws an object resembling a silencer into the snow, and then quickly gets on a bus to leave the scene.
Another video shows FSB special forces escorting a suspect from the plane, whose face is blurred for security reasons.
The incident attracted special attention because Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev is one of the key figures of the GRU. He has held the position of First Deputy Director General since 2011, and was in charge and supervised Russia's counter-terrorism operations in Syria.
In 2017, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation, a noble award for individuals who have made special contributions to national security and defense.
Commenting on the failed assassination, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called it a "terrorist act", saying that the attack "once again shows provocative actions aimed at undermining the negotiation process".
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga affirmed that Kiev is not involved in the incident and rejected all accusations from Russia.
