Officers of the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Investigative Committee detained a 21-year-old Moldovan citizen in the Astrakhan region on suspicion of attempting to kill a Russian serviceman in the Saratov region. The security services claim that on September 3, in the settlement of Probuzhdeniye in the Engels district, he fired at the serviceman at least six times, wounding him. Criminal cases were opened against the detainee on charges of attempted murder and illegal weapons trafficking.
The FSB and the Investigative Committee identify the detainee as Nicolae Kochu. According to the investigation, in 2025 he was recruited through social media by Ukrainian special services, after which he underwent "mine-explosive and firearms training in Kyiv." In June 2026, Kochu came to Russia to kill the serviceman and was to return to Moldova after the attack. He was detained while trying to leave the country.
The name of the victim has not been officially released. According to Russian and Ukrainian Telegram channels, he is Major General Nikolai Varpakhovich, commander of the 22nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Division of Russia's Long-Range Aviation. Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) considers him responsible for the missile strike on the Okhmatdyt children's hospital in Kyiv on July 8, 2024.
The FSB released video of Kochu's detention and interrogation, in which he describes his recruitment. The circumstances under which the footage was recorded are unknown. The investigation plans to request that the suspect be placed in custody.