Russia's FSB detains Moldovan citizen allegedly recruited by Ukraine to assassinate Russian general
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Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) detained 21-year-old Moldovan citizen Nicolae Cociu, who was allegedly involved in an attempted assassination of a senior Russian military officer in Saratov Oblast, the agency said on Sept. 8.
The assassination attempt reportedly targeted Nikolay Varpakhovich, a Russian Aerospace Forces general and commander of the 22nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Division, according to Russian independent media outlet Astra.
Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) and Prosecutor General's Office formally charged Varpakhovich in absentia on Aug. 31 over his involvement in Russia's July 8, 2024, attack on Kyiv's Okhmatdyt children's hospital. The strike killed two people and injured more than 50 others, with more than 600 patients inside the clinic at the time.
Russian investigators claimed that Cociu shot the officer six times on Sept. 3. The officer was wounded but survived the attack.
The FSB claimed that the Moldovan citizen was recruited by Ukrainian intelligence services via Instagram in 2025 and offered 70,000 euro ($81,300) to carry out an assassination attempt against the Russian service member.
The suspect allegedly underwent training at a shooting range in Kyiv before traveling to Russia's Saratov Oblast via Estonia in June, according to the FSB.
The FSB also claimed that Cociu was supposed to return to Moldova after the attack and was arrested in Astrakhan Oblast while allegedly attempting to leave Russia.
Astra previously reported that a motorcyclist opened fire on Varpakhovich as he left a store on Sept. 3, striking him once in the face and once in the body.
Ukraine has not commented on the incident, and The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claims.
The reported shooting comes amid a series of assassination attempts targeting Russian military figures and individuals linked to Moscow's war against Ukraine.
In August, Russian Aerospace Forces commander Alexander Chayko was reportedly targeted in a bombing at a Moscow restaurant, according to a source familiar with the operation.
