FSB Arrests Pavel Vasin, Third Suspect in GRU General Alexeyev Assassination Plot

Third Suspect Arrested in GRU General Assassination Attempt

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Tuesday the arrest of Pavel Vasin, a 44-year-old man, marking him as the third individual apprehended in connection with the attempted assassination of Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, a senior officer in Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU). The incident, which saw General Alexeyev shot several times, occurred on Friday morning, February 6, 2026, in Moscow. He remains hospitalized in critical but conscious condition. The FSB claims the plot was orchestrated by Ukraine's SBU security service, an accusation Kyiv has denied. Poland has also dismissed allegations of its intelligence services assisting in the recruitment of suspects.

Pavel Vasin's Alleged Role

According to the FSB, Pavel Vasin is accused of providing crucial logistical support to the alleged perpetrators. His involvement reportedly included supplying 'vehicles that were used for physical surveillance and for retrieving weapons from a hidden cache'. Furthermore, the FSB stated that Vasin was tracking at least two other senior Russian military officers for potential assassination attempts. In an interrogation video released by the FSB, Vasin reportedly described how he was recruited by Lyubomir Korba on behalf of Ukraine's SBU in September 2025, stating, 'I carried out Korba's assignments regarding equipment and drove him wherever he told me to.'

Broader Conspiracy and Other Apprehensions

The arrest of Pavel Vasin follows earlier detentions related to the high-profile case. The suspected shooter, Lyubomir Korba, a Ukrainian-born Russian citizen, was arrested in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday and subsequently extradited to Russia. Korba allegedly received training in Kyiv and was promised $30,000 for the assassination. Viktor Vasin, Pavel Vasin's father, was also arrested in Moscow shortly after the shooting, accused of renting an apartment for Korba and providing him with public transportation cards. A fourth individual, Zinaida Serebritskaya, is suspected of involvement and is believed to have fled to Ukraine, with Russian police issuing a warrant for her arrest. Serebritskaya reportedly rented an apartment in the same building as General Alexeyev to gather intelligence.

Context of Attacks on Russian Military Officials

The attempted assassination of Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev is not an isolated incident but rather the latest in a series of attacks targeting senior Russian military officials. Since December 2024, at least three other generals have been killed in or near Moscow. General Alexeyev, who serves as the first deputy head of the GRU, was reportedly placed in charge of intelligence operations in Ukraine after President Vladimir Putin sidelined the FSB in the early months of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. He has also been sanctioned by Western nations for his alleged role in cyberattacks and has been linked to the 2018 poisoning of Sergei Skripal in the UK.