MOSCOW, Feb 9 (Reuters) – Russia’s Federal Security Service said on Monday that the men suspected of shooting one of the country’s most senior military intelligence officer had confessed that they were carrying out orders from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).
Ukraine has denied any involvement in Friday’s attempted assassination of Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, deputy head of Russia’s GRU military intelligence service. Alexeyev has regained consciousness after surgery.
Russia said that the suspected shooter, a Ukrainian-born Russian citizen named by Moscow as Lyubomir Korba, had been questioned after he was extradited from Dubai. A suspected accomplice, Viktor Vasin, has also been questioned.
The FSB said in a statement that both Korba and Vasin had “confessed their guilt” and given details of the shooting which they said was “committed on behalf of the Security Service of Ukraine.”
The FSB did not provide any evidence that Reuters was able to immediately verify. It was not possible to contact the men while they were in detention in Russia. The SBU could not be reached for immediate comment on the FSB statement.
The FSB said Korba was recruited by the SBU in August 2025 in Ternopil, western Ukraine, underwent training in Kyiv and was paid monthly in crypto-currency. For killing Alexeyev, Korba was promised $30,000 by the SBU, the FSB said.
The FSB said Polish intelligence was involved in his recruitment. Poland could not be reached for immediate comment.
(Reporting by Reuters, Editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Michael Perry)
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