Moscow
Russian security services announced on Sunday that a Ukrainian-born Russian citizen has been extradited from Dubai to Moscow on suspicion of gravely injuring one of the country’s most senior military intelligence officials. The case has heightened tensions between Russia and Ukraine, with Moscow alleging Kyiv’s involvement and Ukrainian authorities denying the claim.
According to investigators, Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, 64, the deputy head of Russia’s GRU military intelligence service, was shot three times on Friday inside an apartment block on the Volokolamsk Highway in northern Moscow. The attack was carried out using a Makarov pistol fitted with a silencer, investigators said. Alexeyev was rushed to hospital and underwent emergency surgery. Russian media reported that he remains under medical supervision.
The Federal Security Service (FSB) said the suspect, identified as Lyubomir Korba, was detained in Dubai and later extradited to Russia. In a statement, the FSB described Korba as a Russian citizen born in 1960 in the Ternopil region of what was then Soviet Ukraine. Investigators allege that Korba was tasked by Ukrainian intelligence services with carrying out the shooting.
Russian authorities have directly blamed Ukraine for orchestrating the attack, portraying it as part of a broader campaign targeting senior figures within Russia’s security establishment. Kyiv has firmly denied any involvement, dismissing the allegations as unsubstantiated.
State media broadcast footage showing masked FSB officers escorting a blindfolded man from a small jet after landing in Russia at night, images clearly intended to underscore the seriousness of the case and the speed of the extradition. Officials did not disclose further details about the legal process that led to Korba’s transfer from the United Arab Emirates.
The GRU, one of Russia’s most powerful intelligence agencies, plays a central role in military and foreign intelligence operations. An attack on such a high-ranking official is rare and has raised concerns within Russia’s security circles about internal vulnerabilities.
As the investigation continues, authorities said Korba would face charges related to attempted murder and terrorism. The case is expected to further strain already fraught relations between Moscow and Kyiv, coming amid an ongoing conflict and mutual accusations of covert operations.
