Chief of Russia’s military spy agency dies

MOSCOW: Russia’s military intelligence chief who oversaw a series of notorious operations abroad has died after a long illness, with Moscow praising him on Thursday as a “great man” and a patriot.

Igor Korobov, 62, had headed the defence ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) since 2016 and was the target of US sanctions.

Under his tenure the GRU has become a byword for Russian meddling in Western affairs. The ministry said he died on Wednesday after a “long and serious illness,” with analysts suggesting it was a code word for cancer.

Korobov’s 57-year-old first deputy, Vice Admiral Igor Kostyukov, has been appointed acting GRU chief and is likely become his successor.

President Vladimir Putin has expressed condolences, said his spokesman Dmitry Peskov, adding the two “had been in constant dialogue.”

“The dear memory of this great man, a faithful Russian son and a patriot of the Motherland... will remain forever in our hearts,” the defence ministry said.

The West has accused the ultra-secretive agency of carrying out attacks on foreign soil, including the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia with a Soviet-designed nerve agent in Britain in March.

Washington has said the GRU was directly involved in interfering in the 2016 US election through “cyberenabled activities”, while the Netherlands has said they had thwarted a GRU cyberattack on the global chemical weapons watchdog. Russia has denied the charges.