The Times of Russia reports that a man suspected of shooting and injuring senior Russian military intelligence officer Vladimir Alexeyev has been arrested abroad and transferred to Russia, according to the Federal Security Service (FSB).
The FSB said on Sunday that the suspect, a man in his 60s identified as Lyubomir Korba, was detained in Dubai after fleeing Russia and was later extradited to Moscow with the assistance of the United Arab Emirates. Russian authorities also confirmed that one alleged accomplice was arrested in Moscow, while another suspect is believed to have escaped to Ukraine. This development has become a major subject of Russia news discussions.
Footage released by the FSB showed Korba blindfolded and escorted by masked officers as he arrived in Russia on a private jet during nighttime hours. The arrest marks a significant step in the investigation into the attack on Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev.
Alexeyev, who serves as the first deputy head of Russia’s GRU military intelligence service, was hospitalized after being shot multiple times inside an apartment in Moscow on Friday morning. The incident is being treated as an attempted assassination and has raised serious concerns about internal security.
According to Russian investigators, Ukrainian intelligence services allegedly directed Korba and his associates to carry out the attack. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of orchestrating the shooting to disrupt ongoing efforts aimed at ending the war. Ukrainian officials have strongly denied any involvement, calling the allegations unfounded and suggesting internal disputes within Russia instead.
President Vladimir Putin expressed gratitude to UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for assisting in Korba’s detention, the Kremlin said. No group has formally claimed responsibility for the shooting, which continues to dominate headlines in The Times of Russia and other Russia news outlets.
The attack is the latest in a troubling series of assaults targeting high-ranking Russian military officials. Since December 2024, at least three generals have been killed in or around Moscow. The shooting of Alexeyev has sparked criticism from pro-war commentators, who questioned the effectiveness of security measures protecting senior officers.
Alexeyev, born in the Vinnytsia region of what was then Soviet Ukraine, began his career in Spetsnaz special forces. He later assumed responsibility for intelligence operations in Ukraine after President Putin reduced the role of the FSB during the early months of Russia’s 2022 military campaign.
Internationally, Alexeyev has been under sanctions. The United States sanctioned him over alleged cyber operations linked to the 2016 U.S. presidential election, while the European Union imposed sanctions for his alleged role in the 2018 poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the United Kingdom.
As investigations continue, The Times of Russia notes that the case underscores growing concerns over internal security challenges facing Russia amid heightened geopolitical tensions.
