Russia says it has identified three suspects involved in the shooting of high-profile military general Lt Gen Vladimir Alexeyev. They include the man said to have carried out the attack, identified as Russian citizen Lyubomir Korba.
Russia's Investigations Committee (SK) claimed Korba arrived in Moscow in late December on assignment from Ukrainian intelligence services to commit a terrorist attack. Kyiv has reportedly denied involvement.
Alexeyev, 64, was taken to the hospital after the attack in a residential block in the north-western outskirts of Moscow. He has regained consciousness after surgery, according to Russian media.
Alexeyev is the second in command in Russia's GRU military intelligence and the latest high-ranking military officer to be targeted since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
According to spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko, Korba fired three shots before fleeing and traveled to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) hours after the shooting. He has since been arrested and extradited.
Russian state television aired footage of security agents removing Korba from a plane. Investigators found the murder weapon—a Makarov pistol with a silencer and ammunition—at the scene.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha stated that Kyiv had nothing to do with the shooting, labeling the incident as an internal Russian affair. In contrast, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused Kyiv of attempting to disrupt negotiations regarding the war.
In addition to Korba, another man named Viktor Vasin has been arrested and charged, while a woman named Zinaida Serebritskaya is also thought to be involved.
This attack is not isolated, as Ukraine has previously claimed responsibility for attacks on Russian military figures, and Russia's SK reported thwarting an attempt on a Russian soldier recently.
