The tenure of Sergun ′ s successor , Igor Korobov , was marked by what was construed by the news media as multiple high-profile failures such as the thwarted 2016 coup d'état attempt in Montenegro and the failed 2018 Salisbury poisoning , as well as an unprecedented number of disclosed GRU agents . Korobov died on 21 November 2018 , " after a serious and prolonged illness " , according to the official defence ministry ′ s statement . His death provoked speculations and unverified reports of him having fallen ill in October that year , following a harsh dressing-down from president Vladimir Putin . However , former CIA station chief Daniel Hoffman , cautioned in 2017 that some of the Russian intelligence ′ s recent operations that appeared to be botched might have been ″ discoverable influence operations ″ , i.e. operations that were meant to be discovered
2018 Salisbury poisoning
Poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal
GRU (G.U.)