FSB counterintelligence officer shot dead inside Moscow Defense Ministry building

A Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) counterintelligence officer was shot dead inside a Ministry of Defense-run building in central Moscow, multiple Russian media outlets reported on Tuesday, citing anonymous sources in law enforcement.

The building where the killing occurred houses Ministry of Defense departments as well as the FSB Directorate for the Moscow Military District, according to the security service-affiliated Telegram channel VChK-OGPU.

The FSB officer, identified as Vladimir Feshchenko, was found with a fatal gunshot wound to the head on the night of Jan. 13, according to the Telegram channel Baza, which is widely believed to be affiliated with the Russian authorities.

A report by the Russian business publication RBC, citing an unnamed source familiar with the investigation, indicated that the primary theory currently being explored is negligent homicide. The source indicated it was “possible the shot was fired during an argument between two men.”

The suspected shooter, whose identity remains undisclosed, has been arrested on murder charges, according to the state-run news agency RIA Novosti.

State-run news agency TASS confirmed Feshchenko's death but omitted any reference to his FSB affiliation or the site of the shooting. TASS also identified Feshchenko as a national kettlebell lifting champion.