Russia's Covert Kidnap Squad: Inside the Exposed 'Center 795'

The Existence of Center 795

According to ХВИЛЯ: An investigation by The Insider has uncovered a top-secret Russian intelligence unit known as 'Center 795' (military unit 75127). This unit was established after the start of the full-scale war against Ukraine, with its primary mission being kidnapping and assassination operations abroad. Formally created in December 2022, the unit is led by Denis Fisenko and is funded through the 'Kalashnikov' concern.

Operations and an Arrest

On February 23, 2023, Center 795 officer Denis Alimov departed from Vnukovo Airport for Colombia, transiting through Istanbul. The following day, February 24, he was detained by Colombian migration services at El Dorado Airport in Bogotá. His arrest resulted from compromised communications via Google Translate. Alimov faces charges including conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to kidnap, material support of a terrorist organization, and financing terrorism. He remains in custody in Colombia, awaiting extradition to the United States.

Center 795 reports directly to the Chief of the General Staff, Gerasimov, or the Deputy Minister of Defense. The unit comprises approximately 500 officers, organized into three directorates:

• Intelligence
• Assault
• Combat Support

The Intelligence Directorate contains nine departments, covering areas such as open-source intelligence, agent networks, signals interception, drone-based optical reconnaissance, and a sniper department. The Assault Directorate consists of four combat application departments, while the Combat Support Directorate includes five departments.

The unit's operational base is the 'Patriot' park in Kubinka, located within a complex of the Kalashnikov concern. Funding is channeled through sanctioned oligarch Andrey Bokarev, a co-owner of Kalashnikov. Denis Fisenko, the unit's head, receives 3 million rubles monthly from the concern, while a department head earns about 500,000 rubles per month. Reports indicate roughly one-third of candidates were rejected during the selection process.

Prior to joining Center 795, Denis Alimov served in the FSB's elite 'Alpha' unit. In 2023, he participated in the search for the missing nephew of Ramzan Kadyrov in Moscow. According to the investigation, in October 2024, Alimov gave agent Darko Đurović a $60,000 advance for the 'deportation' of targets, with a promised reward of $1.5 million for each successfully completed operation. Alimov and Đurović communicated using Google Translate.

"You cannot cram the specialties of the entire GRU and FSB into a single 500-person structure; it doesn't work that way," noted a source with ties to military intelligence.

The revelation of Center 795 underscores an escalation in Russia's extraterritorial operations amid its war in Ukraine. This development highlights Moscow's increasing willingness to deploy specialized units for high-risk missions abroad, a tactic that carries significant diplomatic risks. The unit's focus on terrorist activities points to Russia's intent to pursue its aggressive policies internationally using new methods. The arrest of Denis Alimov in Colombia could lead to further international repercussions for Russia, particularly regarding its cooperation with other nations in counter-terrorism efforts.