Russia has confirmed the identification of three suspects involved in the shooting of high-ranking military officer Lt Gen Vladimir Alexeyev. The main suspect, Ukrainian-born Lyubomir Korba, is accused of conducting the attack on behalf of Ukrainian intelligence—a claim which Kyiv has denied.
The incident occurred on February 6 in a residential area of Moscow. Following the shooting, Alexeyev, who is the second-in-command of Russia's GRU military intelligence, was hospitalized but has since regained consciousness after surgery.
Korba reportedly arrived in Moscow in late December, with intentions to carry out a terrorist act, according to Russia's Investigations Committee. Following the shooting, he allegedly fled to the United Arab Emirates but was later arrested and extradited back to Russia.
During investigations, authorities discovered the murder weapon—a Makarov pistol with a silencer—at the crime scene. The attack raises concerns as it is part of a continuing trend where several Russian military figures have faced assassination attempts amid rising tensions following the start of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022.
Ukrainian officials, including Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, have publicly stated that Ukraine was not involved in this particular incident, suggesting it may be a matter of internal Russian strife. On the other hand, Russian officials, including Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, have accused Ukraine of aiming to undermine peace negotiations between the two nations. The case continues to develop as forensic tests are conducted on the found gun.
