Russia detains two Armenians over assassination of Armenian-Russian militia leader in Moscow

The Russian state-run media outlet RT has reported that two Armenian citizens have been detained in Russia in connection with the murder of Arbat battalion founder Armen Sargsyan. RT reported investigators believe Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) could be behind the assassination.

RT reported on Friday that two individuals, identified only as 44-year-old Arman P and 61-year-old Hrachya P, were detained in Moscow ‘almost two weeks ago’ as part of the investigation into the ‘murder’ of Sargsyan.

According to RT, the Russian authorities were considering two possible reasons for the killing, with the first suggesting that the fatal explosion ‘could have been organised by Sargsyan’s business competitors’.

‘However, the priority version of the investigation is that the [military intelligence agency] of Ukraine could be behind Sargsyan’s murder, since his battalion “Arbat” became part of the Russian Defence Ministry in 2023’ and was participating in Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The source also reportedly stated that Russian intelligence ‘received information that the HUR had been developing an operation to eliminate Sargsyan for more than three months, and had been keeping him under surveillance since the beginning of 2025’.

RT also noted that Sargsyan’s ‘personal data’ was posted on the Ukrainian website Myrotvorets ‘for many years’. Myrotvorets is a Ukrainian platform that publishes information about ‘pro-Russian terrorists, separatists, mercenaries, war criminals, and murderers’.

Sargsyan, who was born in Armenia but grew up in Ukraine, founded the pro-Russian paramilitary group Arbat, which fought alongside Russian troops during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He and his bodyguard were killed on 3 February after being injured in an explosion at a Moscow apartment complex earlier in the day.

The Russian Investigative Committee said it had launched an inquiry into the explosion under several criminal articles, including murder.

While not explicitly saying that Ukraine was responsible, a source in law enforcement told TASS shortly after that Sargsyan’s death was believed to be an assassination.

Armenian pro-Russian paramilitary leader dies of injuries following Moscow explosion

Armen Sargsyan was the latest high profile pro-Russian figure to be assassinated in the country.

OC MediaNate Ostiller

A suicide bombing?

On 4 February, TASS wrote that the explosion may have been the result of a suicide bombing. In the 21 February article, RT’s source ‘close to the investigation’ stated that the body of a suspected bomber was found at the site of the explosion.

RT also cited other news reports suggesting that the bomber was 58-year-old Paruyr M.

‘However, it is still unclear whether he was the bomber or just happened to be at the site of the explosion’, RT’s source said.

Paruyr, as well as Hrachya and Arman, were reportedly from the Armenian town of Vagharshapat, though they lived in Russia. Russian state media suggested they had met at a friend’s birthday party ‘several months’ before the explosion.RT cited the Armenian Embassy in Moscow as saying they had not been informed that any Armenian citizens had been detained as a part of the investigation.