Russia's intelligence chief Alexander Bortnikov directly accused Britain of involvement in the assassination attempt on Lt Gen Vladimir Alekseyev, the official reportedly behind the 2018 Skripal poisoning. The FSB director claimed they found a "British trace" in the February 6 shooting that left Alekseyev recovering in a medically induced coma after being shot multiple times in a Moscow apartment building.

Lt Gen Alekseyev survived the attack with Russian authorities identifying a suspect who allegedly received training in Kyiv and $30,000 for the hit. The incident follows a pattern of Ukrainian operations targeting Russian officials since the 2022 invasion, though no party claimed responsibility for this specific attempt. The FSB also accused Polish intelligence of involvement, prompting a denial.

Russia's State Duma defense committee member Andrei Kolesnik vowed retaliation against the UK by blocking maritime communications. The accusation continues Moscow's narrative of British involvement in operations against Russia, including previous claims about drone attacks and the Crocus City Hall bombing. Western governments have consistently denied these allegations.