FSB says it detained suspect in attempted murder of Russian general. Ukraine accuses the general of ordering the strike on Kyiv’s Okhmatdyt children’s hospital.

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) announced they had detained a 21-year-old Moldovan named Nicolae Kochu in the Astrakhan region. The suspect is suspected of attempting to murder a high-ranking Russian serviceman in the Saratov region on September 3. According to the FSB, the serviceman was shot six times but survived. His identity has not been disclosed, but unofficial reports suggest he is Major General Nikolai Varpakhovich, the commander of the 22nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Division.

Ukraine holds this general responsible for a missile strike on Kyiv's Okhmatdyt children's hospital on July 8, 2024, which resulted in two deaths. The FSB claims that a Ukrainian intelligence officer recruited Kochu through social media in 2025 while he was searching for employment in Moldova. He received "mine-explosives and firearms training in Kyiv" in 2026 and traveled to Russia in June with the intent of killing the serviceman.

Kochu planned to return to Moldova after the attack but was intercepted upon attempting to leave Russia. The FSB has opened criminal cases against him for attempted murder and illegal arms trafficking. Video footage of Kochu's detention and questioning has been released by the authorities.