Two men accused of shooting a senior Russian military intelligence officer have confessed to carrying out orders from Ukraine’s security services, Russia’s Federal Security Service said Monday, though the claims could not be independently verified and Ukraine has denied any involvement.
Lyubomir Korba and Viktor Vasin told interrogators they targeted Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev on behalf of Ukraine’s Security Service, known as the SBU, according to an FSB statement. Both men confessed to participating in Friday’s attack, Russian authorities said.
Ukraine rejected the allegations. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha told Reuters that Kyiv had no connection to the shooting, which occurred as Russian and Ukrainian negotiators conducted peace talks in Abu Dhabi. Alexeyev, deputy head of Russia’s GRU military intelligence directorate, was shot multiple times Friday morning in the stairwell of his Moscow apartment building. He underwent surgery and has regained consciousness, according to Russian officials who have not disclosed further details about his condition.
The FSB statement provided no evidence to support its claims about the confessions. The SBU did not respond to requests for comment on the Russian allegations.
According to the FSB account, Korba, a Ukrainian-born Russian citizen, was recruited by an SBU officer in Ternopil, western Ukraine, in August 2025. He allegedly underwent firearms training in Kyiv, received monthly payments in cryptocurrency, and was promised $30,000 if he successfully killed Alexeyev. The FSB further claimed that Polish intelligence services assisted in Korba’s recruitment. Polish authorities could not be reached for comment.
Korba was detained in Dubai following the shooting and extradited to Russia. Russian state media broadcast footage showing a blindfolded man being escorted from an aircraft by masked FSB officers, though his identity could not be confirmed from the video.
Vasin, described by the FSB as an accomplice, was arrested in Moscow. Russian authorities said he rented a safe house for Korba and provided logistical support. The FSB characterized Vasin as a supporter of the banned Anti-Corruption Foundation, an opposition group associated with imprisoned Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.
A third suspect, identified as Zinaida Serebritskaya, allegedly lived in the same apartment building as Alexeyev and provided the gunman access. She reportedly fled to Ukraine before authorities could detain her, according to the FSB. Russian investigators said Korba waited for Alexeyev near the elevator and fired multiple shots before fleeing. He discarded the weapon and changed clothing before traveling to the United Arab Emirates, where Emirati authorities arrested him at Russia’s request. President Vladimir Putin thanked UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for assistance in Korba’s detention, the Kremlin said Saturday.
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The shooting occurred one day after Alexeyev’s superior, GRU chief Admiral Igor Kostyukov, led Russia’s delegation in peace negotiations with Ukrainian and American officials in Abu Dhabi. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of orchestrating the attack to sabotage the talks, though he offered no evidence. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Sybiha suggested the incident stemmed from internal Russian conflicts rather than foreign involvement. The Ukrainian government has not claimed responsibility for the attack and rarely comments on violence inside Russia.
Alexeyev, 64, has been the GRU’s first deputy chief since 2011. He was born in Soviet Ukraine’s Vinnytsia region and graduated from Russia’s Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School in 1984. He served in various intelligence positions before rising to senior leadership.
The United States sanctioned Alexeyev in 2016 for alleged involvement in cyberattacks targeting the U.S. presidential election. The European Union imposed sanctions in 2019 following the nerve agent poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, England. British authorities said GRU officers carried out that attack.
Ukrainian intelligence reports have accused Alexeyev of coordinating targeting data for Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure and organizing illegal referendums in occupied territories. These allegations have not been independently confirmed by international investigators. Denys Prokopenko, commander of Ukraine’s Azov Brigade, said Alexeyev served as Russia’s representative during negotiations over the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Mariupol’s Azovstal steel plant in May 2022. Prokopenko said Alexeyev promised humane treatment for prisoners but that Russia violated those commitments.
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Friday’s shooting marked the latest in a series of attacks targeting Russian military officials. In December, Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov died when a bomb exploded beneath his car in Moscow. In April 2025, Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik was killed in a similar car bombing outside the capital.
Russian security analysts have criticized the GRU and FSB for failing to protect senior officers despite escalating threats. The attacks have raised questions about vulnerabilities in Russia’s domestic security apparatus during its ongoing war with Ukraine.
Western intelligence agencies have documented Ukrainian operations inside Russia, including sabotage of military infrastructure, assassinations of collaborators in occupied territories, and strikes on logistics networks. Ukraine typically neither confirms nor denies involvement in such incidents.
The timing of Friday’s attack, coming amid peace negotiations, added complexity to diplomatic efforts. Talks in Abu Dhabi produced a prisoner exchange Thursday involving 314 detainees but yielded no breakthroughs on broader settlement terms. Both sides described the discussions as constructive yet difficult. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, who helped broker the talks, has sought to maintain momentum despite setbacks. The Kremlin said discussions would continue, though no date for the next round has been announced.
The FSB provided no details on interrogation methods or whether Korba and Vasin were represented by counsel during questioning. Russian law permits authorities to hold terrorism suspects without charge for extended periods and restricts legal protections during initial detention.
Moscow has blamed Ukraine for numerous attacks on Russian soil since the 2022 invasion, including drone strikes on the Kremlin, explosions at military airfields, and killings of pro-war bloggers and journalists. Ukrainian officials rarely address such allegations directly, citing operational security concerns. The Alexeyev shooting occurred as Russia intensified military operations in eastern Ukraine and continued missile strikes on energy infrastructure. Kyiv has called for additional Western military aid to counter Russian advances and protect critical facilities entering winter months.
No timeline has been disclosed for potential trials of Korba and Vasin. Russian authorities typically conduct proceedings involving national security allegations behind closed doors, limiting public scrutiny and independent observation.
