Russia Claims Ukraine Planned Assassination of Top Security Official

Russian authorities have claimed that Ukrainian intelligence orchestrated an assassination plot targeting a high-ranking security official in Moscow. The Federal Security Service (FSB), Russia’s primary domestic intelligence agency, reported the defusing of an explosive device—described as a scooter bomb—that had been parked near a Moscow business center.

The report follows a series of accusations from the Kremlin regarding Ukrainian attempts to target top government and military personnel within the Russian capital. According to Russian officials, the thwarted operation involving the scooter bomb was designed to detonate as part of a broader effort to eliminate high-level security figures.

Recent Targeted Attacks in Moscow

The discovery of the scooter bomb coincides with other reported attempts on the lives of Russian officials. On February 6, 2026, Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev, the second-in-command of the GRU (Russia’s military intelligence agency), was shot and wounded in an attempted assassination in Moscow.

According to the FSB, Alekseyev was attacked in the stairwell of a Moscow apartment building by an individual disguised as a food delivery courier. The assailant shot the general twice, and a third shot was fired as Alekseyev attempted to fend off the attack before the gunman fled the scene.

On February 9, 2026, the FSB released surveillance footage and identified the alleged shooter as 65-year-old Lyubomir Korba. The agency stated that Korba confessed to the crime and claimed he had been recruited by Ukrainian intelligence.

Additional claims from Russian officials describe other methods used in these alleged plots. One reported attempt involved an explosive device planted at the grave of a relative of a top government official in a Moscow cemetery, which was reportedly rigged to detonate remotely.

Diplomatic and Political Reactions

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has publicly blamed Ukraine for these incidents. Lavrov stated that these actions demonstrate that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy seeks to derail peace process following talks that took place in Abu Dhabi in early February 2026.

The Ukrainian government in Kyiv has rejected these accusations. Observers and analysts have noted that the Kremlin’s narratives regarding these assassination attempts have often been presented without providing public evidence.

The FSB continues to lead the investigations into these events, attributing the various plots—ranging from the shooting of General Alekseyev to the planting of remote explosives and the placement of the scooter bomb—to coordinated efforts by Ukrainian intelligence services to destabilize Russian security leadership.