Russia has accused Poland of conspiring with Ukraine in an assassination attempt on a high-ranking Moscow general, a brazen allegation that NATO allies immediately dismissed as manufactured propaganda designed to escalate tensions and justify further aggression.
Russian Intelligence Accuses NATO Ally Without Evidence
Russia’s Federal Security Service announced that Polish intelligence services assisted Ukraine’s SBU in recruiting operatives who shot Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alexeyev multiple times in a Moscow apartment building on February 6.
The FSB based its accusations entirely on confessions from detained suspects, including Lyubomir Korba, a Russian citizen born in Ukraine who was extradited from Dubai.
According to Russian authorities, Korba’s son, a Polish citizen living in Katowice, allegedly facilitated the recruitment with Polish intelligence support. No corroborating evidence has been presented publicly, and the confessions bear hallmarks of coerced statements typical of authoritarian regimes.
Russia has accused Polish intelligence of being involved in last week’s attempted assassination of a general in Moscow, which it says was carried out on Ukraine’s orders.
Poland has not yet commented on the claims, which were presented without evidence https://t.co/GRUf4GthVY
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) February 9, 2026
Poland and Ukraine Reject Kremlin’s Fabricated Narrative
Brigadier General Jaroslaw Strozyk, head of Poland’s Military Counterintelligence Service, swiftly dismissed Russia’s allegations as disinformation designed for domestic consumption. Poland has emerged as a critical NATO ally supporting Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion, hosting millions of refugees and serving as a logistics hub for military aid. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also denied involvement, suggesting the incident may stem from internal Russian power struggles rather than foreign operations. This coordinated denial reflects the information warfare that has characterized the conflict, where Moscow routinely fabricates Western involvement to justify its actions and rally domestic support against perceived enemies.
Target’s Notorious History Raises Questions About Motive
Lt. Gen. Alexeyev serves as deputy head of Russia’s GRU, the military intelligence service, and carries significant baggage from past operations that harmed Western nations. He faced sanctions from Britain and the European Union for his role in the 2018 Novichok nerve agent attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, England. The United States also sanctioned him for interfering in the 2020 presidential election. His survival of multiple gunshot wounds adds another chapter to a pattern of alleged assassination attempts targeting Russian military officials since the Ukraine invasion began. The attack occurred as peace negotiations reportedly stalled, with Russia claiming the timing was designed to disrupt diplomatic progress—a convenient narrative that serves Moscow’s propaganda interests.
Escalating Accusations Threaten NATO’s Eastern Flank
Russia’s inclusion of Poland in assassination allegations represents a dangerous escalation beyond the Ukraine conflict, directly implicating a NATO member state in acts that Moscow frames as terrorism. Russian polling shows 62 percent of citizens view Poland as an “enemy nation,” tied with Lithuania for the highest animosity levels. This hostility stems from Poland’s unwavering support for Ukraine and its role as the alliance’s frontline defender against Russian aggression. The accusations follow Poland’s December 2025 exposure of a 30-operative Russian FSB espionage network conducting sabotage operations on Polish soil. By manufacturing Polish complicity in the Alexeyev shooting, the Kremlin lays the groundwork for potential retaliation or false-flag operations that could test NATO’s Article 5 collective defense commitments.
The FSB detained accomplice Viktor Vasin in Moscow and identified a third suspect, Zinaida Serebritskaya, who fled to Ukraine. Russian authorities released a video of Korba describing his alleged recruitment in August 2025 in Ternopil, Ukraine, where he claims SBU operatives trained him in Kyiv and directed operations via Zoom calls. The detailed account matches templates used in previous Russian propaganda efforts, complete with confessions that conveniently align with Kremlin talking points about Western aggression. Independent verification remains impossible, and the suspects’ access to legal representation under Russian custody is questionable at best.
Information Warfare Obscures Truth in Eastern Europe
The incident exemplifies the fog of disinformation that clouds Eastern European security developments under the Trump administration’s reset of foreign policy priorities. Russia maintains a clear interest in portraying itself as a victim of NATO aggression to justify continued military operations and deflect from its invasion of Ukraine.
Poland and Ukraine have equally strong motivations to deny involvement, whether or not their intelligence services conducted such operations. What remains undeniable is the absence of credible evidence supporting Russian claims beyond confessions obtained under circumstances that violate basic standards of justice. Americans watching this dangerous game of accusations and denials should recognize the pattern: authoritarian regimes manufacture crises to advance strategic objectives while undermining faith in objective truth.
Sources:
Russia alleges Ukraine and Poland involved in assassination attempt on GRU general – Polish Radio
Poland rejects Russian claims – TRT World