Moldovan Citizen Detained in Russia Over Suspected Plot to Assassinate Senior Russian Serviceman
Russian authorities say the suspect was recruited online and trained in Kyiv, and investigators said he was promised $70,000 for the attack.
- Federal Security Service officers detained 21-year-old Moldovan citizen Nicolae Kochu in the Astrakhan region on suspicion of attempting to murder a Russian serviceman in the Saratov region.
- Investigators claim Ukrainian intelligence recruited Kochu in 2025 through social media while he sought work in Moldova, then provided 'mine-explosives and firearms training in Kyiv' in 2026 before he entered Russia.
- On September 3, the suspect fired six shots at the high-ranking officer in the village of Probuzhdeniye near Engels; the serviceman survived, though his driver was injured in the attack.
- Authorities detained Kochu while he attempted to leave Russia, and the FSB released video footage showing him describing how he found a job advertisement on Instagram before being contacted by recruiters.
- Unofficial reports identify the target as Major General Nikolai Varpakhovich, commander of the 22nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Division, whom Ukraine holds responsible for a July 8, 2024 missile strike on Okhmatdyt children's hospital in Kyiv that killed two people.
46 Articles
46 Articles
Russian authorities announced Tuesday they had detained a suspect in last week's incident in which a high-ranking military officer was shot dead.
Russia detains Moldovan suspect over Engels officer shooting linked to Kyiv
Russian authorities say they detained a Moldovan suspect over the shooting of a senior officer near Engels. The case deepens a pattern of attacks on figures tied to Moscow's war effort in Ukraine.
The Russian authorities arrested a Moldovan citizen accused of an attack committed last week against an officer of the Russian Aerospace Forces in the Saratov region, announced on Tuesday the Russian Investigation Committee, reports the EFE agency, taken by Agerpres. "The suspect was arrested in the Astrahan region (...) during the investigation in the criminal file for attempted ...
Russia detains a Moldovan citizen suspected of shooting a military officer on orders from Ukraine – WTOP News
Russian authorities said Tuesday they have detained a suspect in last week’s shooting that wounded a senior military officer, the latest in a series of attacks on personnel and figures linked to the war in Ukraine. The Federal Security Service said a 21-year-old Moldovan national was detained for being allegedly “involved in an assassination attempt...
Russia detains a Moldovan citizen suspected of shooting a military off
Russian authorities said Tuesday they have detained a suspect in last week’s shooting that wounded a senior military officer, the latest in a series of attacks on personnel and figures linked to the war in Ukraine .
The Toronto Star
Russia detains a Moldovan citizen suspected of shooting a military officer on orders from Ukraine
Russian authorities said Tuesday they have detained a suspect in last week’s shooting that wounded a senior military officer, the latest in a series of attacks on personnel and figures linked to the war in Ukraine.
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