A man suspected of shooting and wounding a senior Russian military intelligence officer in Moscow has been arrested in Dubai and extradited to Russia, the Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Sunday . The arrest comes amid a series of attacks targeting Russian military officials.
The suspect, identified as Lyubomir Korba, a Russian national, was apprehended in the United Arab Emirates after fleeing Russia following Friday’s shooting of Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev, first deputy head of the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence agency. Footage released by the FSB appeared to show Korba being escorted off a plane in Russia, his face obscured.
Russian investigators allege that Korba was tasked by Ukrainian intelligence services to carry out the attack on Alekseyev. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky orchestrated the attempt to derail ongoing peace talks, though this claim remains unsubstantiated. Kyiv has dismissed allegations of involvement, suggesting the shooting may be the result of “internal Russian infighting,” according to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.
President Vladimir Putin expressed gratitude to UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for assistance in the detention of Korba, the Kremlin stated on Saturday .
The shooting occurred in the stairway of Alekseyev’s apartment building in Moscow. The 64-year-old general was struck multiple times with a Makarov pistol equipped with a silencer and subsequently hospitalized, undergoing surgery for wounds to his arm, leg and chest. Russian media reported on Sunday that Alekseyev had regained consciousness and was able to speak.
The FSB stated that a suspected accomplice was detained in Moscow, while another individual, identified as Zinaida Serebritskaya, allegedly crossed into Ukraine. A search for the organizers of the attack is ongoing.
The attempted assassination of Alekseyev is the latest in a string of attacks targeting senior Russian military officials. Since December , three generals have been killed in or near Moscow, raising questions about security protocols for high-ranking personnel. The most recent prior incident involved a general killed by a car bomb in late .
Alekseyev, born in the Vinnytsia region of Soviet Ukraine, began his career in the Spetsnaz special forces. He was appointed to oversee intelligence operations in Ukraine following President Putin’s decision to sideline the FSB in the early stages of the invasion. This move signaled a shift in Moscow’s approach to intelligence gathering in Ukraine, placing greater emphasis on the GRU’s capabilities.
The general has been subject to international sanctions. The United States sanctioned Alekseyev for alleged cyber operations related to the U.S. Presidential election, while the European Union sanctioned him for his alleged involvement in the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the United Kingdom.
The incident underscores the heightened security risks facing Russian officials amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and raises concerns about potential escalation. The Kremlin’s accusations against Ukraine, while not independently verified, add another layer of complexity to the already strained relationship between the two countries. The investigation into the attack and the pursuit of those allegedly involved are expected to continue, with potential implications for regional stability.
