Image: from Spetsnaℤ 007 X@Alex_Oloye
OPEN CHRONICLE | Diplomatic Tensions & Global Intelligence
By Staff Reporter Open Chronicle
In a major escalation of the war of words between Moscow and the West, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) formally accused Poland on Monday of collaborating in a plot to assassinate one of the Kremlin’s most powerful intelligence figures. The allegation follows the shooting of Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev, the deputy head of Russia’s military intelligence agency (GRU), who remains in critical condition following an attack in the heart of the Russian capital.
The Ambush on Volokolamskoye Highway
The assassination attempt, which occurred on Friday morning, bore the hallmarks of a professional hit. According to Russian investigators, an assailant—reportedly disguised as a food delivery courier—ambushed Gen. Alekseyev in the stairwell of his Moscow apartment building. The general was shot at least four times with a silenced pistol. Despite the severity of his wounds to the chest and limbs, Alekseyev survived the initial encounter and underwent emergency surgery at a secure military facility.
Alekseyev is no ordinary target; as the No. 2 official at the GRU, he is a veteran operative who has been linked by Western governments to high-profile operations ranging from the 2018 poisoning of Sergei Skripal to the management of the Wagner Group during its 2023 mutiny.
The Dubai Arrest and the Polish Link
The FSB’s accusations hinge on the capture of Lyubomyr Korba, a Ukrainian-born Russian citizen alleged to be the direct perpetrator. Korba was apprehended in Dubai over the weekend with the cooperation of the UAE authorities and swiftly extradited to Moscow.
In confession videos released by the FSB, which have not been independently verified, Korba claims he was recruited by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in August 2025. Crucially, Moscow now alleges that Polish intelligence services facilitated this recruitment through Korba’s son, a Polish citizen residing in Katowice. The FSB contends that the Polish state provided logistical support and vetting for the operative, who was allegedly promised $30,000 in cryptocurrency for the successful assassination.
Geopolitical Fallout
While Kyiv and Warsaw have yet to issue formal responses to the specific claims of Polish involvement, Ukrainian officials previously dismissed the shooting as the result of “internal Russian infighting.” However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has utilized the incident to cast doubt on current diplomatic efforts, suggesting the attack was a deliberate attempt by the West to derail peace negotiations.
The accusation marks a dangerous new low in Russia-Poland relations. Poland, a staunch ally of Ukraine and a key NATO member, has repeatedly denied any involvement in offensive operations on Russian soil. However, Moscow’s decision to name Polish intelligence as a co-conspirator signals a potential shift in Kremlin strategy, possibly laying the groundwork for retaliatory measures against NATO-aligned states.
As the investigation continues, the focus now turns to Warsaw and Brussels for a response to what the Kremlin is calling a “state-sponsored act of terrorism.”