Russia has announced it has tracked down three individuals allegedly responsible for the shooting of one of its most senior military intelligence chiefs, in an incident Moscow is portraying as a Ukrainian-backed assassination attempt. The Kremlin states that the suspects have been identified in the attack on Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, the deputy head of Russia's GRU military intelligence service.
Alleged Gunman Named and Extradited
The alleged gunman has been identified as Lyubomir Korba, a Ukrainian-born Russian citizen who, according to Russian investigators, was acting on orders from Kyiv. Russia's Investigative Committee claimed Korba arrived in Moscow in late December 'on assignment from Ukrainian intelligence services to commit a terrorist attack', a claim that Ukraine has firmly rejected.
The 64-year-old general was shot in a residential block on the north-western outskirts of Moscow on Friday and was rushed to hospital. Russian media reported he later regained consciousness following surgery, easing fears he could become the latest in a growing list of high-ranking Russian officials killed in apparent targeted attacks since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Investigation Details and International Cooperation
Officials said the attacker fired three shots before fleeing the scene, with spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko revealing Korba boarded a flight to the United Arab Emirates just hours after the shooting. He has since been arrested and extradited back into Russian custody.
Footage aired on state television channel Ru-24 showed security agents escorting Korba off a plane at an undisclosed location, under heavy guard. Petrenko added, 'Investigators conducted a thorough inspection at the scene, during which they discovered the murder weapon - a Makarov pistol with a silencer and three rounds of ammunition.' She said forensic tests were under way on the weapon.
The dramatic manhunt reportedly involved international cooperation, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying President Vladimir Putin had thanked UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for assisting in Korba's capture.
Kyiv Dismisses Accusations and Internal Tensions
Kyiv has dismissed the accusations, with Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha telling Reuters that Ukraine had nothing to do with the shooting and suggesting the incident may have been the result of internal Russian tensions. However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Ukraine of orchestrating the attack in an effort to derail negotiations aimed at ending the war.
The timing has raised eyebrows, as Alexeyev's boss, GRU chief Admiral Igor Kostyukov, has been leading Russia's delegation at recent trilateral peace talks with the United States and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi.
Additional Suspects and Broader Campaign
Investigators believe Korba did not act alone. Another suspect, Viktor Vasin, has been arrested in Moscow and charged, while a woman named Zinaida Serebritskaya is also thought to be involved. She has reportedly fled to Ukraine, though officials declined to detail her alleged role.
The shooting comes amid a shadowy campaign of attacks on Russian military figures. Ukraine has acknowledged responsibility for some past operations, and Russian officials recently claimed they foiled an attempted assassination in St Petersburg.
In January, an Uzbek man was jailed over the 2024 killing of General Igor Kirillov, who died in a bomb blast outside a Moscow apartment block. Ukrainian intelligence sources later claimed responsibility for that operation. Kirillov had commanded Russia's Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection troops.
And in December 2025, Lt Gen Fanil Sarvarov, another senior GRU officer, was killed when a bomb detonated beneath his car in Moscow. He had overseen operational training for Russia's armed forces, according to investigators.
