MOSCOW, September 8. /TASS/. Moldovan citizen Nicolae Cochu, detained in the Astrakhan region on suspicion of an assassination attempt on a senior military officer in the Engels district of the Saratov region, agreed to the killing for $70,000, the Russian Investigative Committee Spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko announced.

It has been established that in the spring of 2026, Cochu, while on Ukrainian territory, agreed to commit the murder for a monetary reward of $70,000, after which he underwent appropriate training and, via other countries, arrived on the territory of the Russian Federation.

While already in Russia, Cochu received further instructions from handlers via Telegram, including the identity of the serviceman, his place of residence, the weapon location, and instructions for the crime with developed escape routes. On September 3, after purchasing concealment and transportation and tracking the victim, he attempted to kill the serviceman.

During interrogation, the defendant gave detailed testimony on all circumstances of the crimes committed, later confirmed during a verification of testimony at the scene. The investigation will petition for his detention.