Moldovan Citizen Involved in Assassination Attempt on Senior Russian Officer — FSB
/ Go to the mediabankFSB officer’s body armor and radio. File photo
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) — A Moldovan citizen, recruited by Ukrainian intelligence services, has been detained for his involvement in an assassination attempt on a senior Russian Defense Ministry officer, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said. «The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, together with the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, detained Moldovan citizen Nicolae Cociu, born in 2004, in the Astrakhan Region. He was implicated in an assassination attempt on a senior Russian Defense Ministry officer,» the agency said in a statement. The statement added that «after committing the terrorist attack, the perpetrator, with the assistance of Ukrainian intelligence services, was supposed to return to the Republic of Moldova, but was detained by Russian FSB officers.» The detainee confessed that he was tasked by Ukrainian intelligence services to kill a Russian general, according to a video released by the FSB. He was promised $70,000 for the killing, and shot the officer at least six times.Cociu was approached and recruited by Ukrainian intelligence services while searching for employment on social media in 2025. In March 2026, he underwent bomb and firearms training in Kiev, the FSB said. Cociu admitted in the video that in order to carry out the task, he entered Russia via Estonia. According to Russia’s Investigative Committee, the 21-year-old fired at a Russian officer at least six times in the Saratov Region on September 3. The victim survived the attack thanks to timely medical assistance. The perpetrator was detained in the Astrakhan Region.
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