Russia names three suspects in shooting of senior GRU officer Vladimir Alexeyev

Russian authorities say they have identified three people suspected of involvement in the shooting of senior military intelligence officer Lt Gen Vladimir Alexeyev, a high-ranking figure within Russia’s GRU. Investigators allege that the gunman was Lyubomir Korba, a Russian citizen originally from Ukraine, who they claim acted on instructions from Ukrainian intelligence. Ukraine has rejected the accusation, calling the incident an internal Russian matter.

According to Russia’s Investigative Committee, Korba entered Moscow in late December before attacking on Friday at a residential apartment complex on the city’s north-western edge. Alexeyev, 64, was seriously wounded and taken to the hospital, where Russian media later reported he regained consciousness following surgery. Officials say the attacker fired three shots and escaped shortly afterward. Korba reportedly flew to the United Arab Emirates just hours later, where he was arrested and subsequently extradited to Russia. State television broadcast images of security officers escorting him off an aircraft at an undisclosed location.

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Investigators said they recovered a Makarov handgun fitted with a suppressor at the scene, along with three rounds of ammunition. Forensic analysis is underway. The Kremlin confirmed that President Vladimir Putin thanked UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for assisting in Korba’s detention. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Kyiv of orchestrating the attack to derail diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war. Ukraine’s foreign minister denied any role.

Alexeyev serves as deputy head of the GRU, whose chief, Admiral Igor Kostyukov, has recently been involved in trilateral talks with Ukraine and the United States in Abu Dhabi. Russian investigators say Korba did not act alone. A suspected accomplice, Viktor Vasin, has been detained in Moscow and formally charged.

Authorities also named Zinaida Serebritskaya as a possible participant, saying she has since fled to Ukraine, though details of her alleged role were not disclosed. The shooting is the latest in a series of attacks targeting Russian military officials since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Ukraine has previously acknowledged involvement in some operations against Russian officers, including a 2024 bombing that killed Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov. Russian officials also say they recently prevented another planned attack in St Petersburg.