New photo Head of Russian spy agency Igor Korobov ‘dies aged 63 after a long illness’

The head of Russia's spy agency has reportedly died aged 63 'after a long illness' - it has been announced.

Russia's TASS news agency reported that Colonel-General Igor Korobov, the man responsible for coordinating the response to the Salisbury spy poisoning in March this year, has died.

A statement from the Russian Defence Ministry did not give details about his illness but lauded Korobov as a 'true son of Russia' and offered condolences to his family.

Last month, Korobov was said to have been in 'sudden ill health' after a dressing down from Russian President Vladimir Putin over 'deep incompetence' shown in the Salisbury poisonings and other international operations. 

Last month Korobov was said to have been in 'sudden ill health' after a dressing down from Vladimir Putin for his response to the Salisbury spy poisoning 

The 63-year-old reportedly emerged shaken and later collapsed at his home after his confrontation with the furious Russian president.

Igor Korobov served as the Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation having earlier had an illustrious career in the military. 

A former Soviet air force pilot, Mr Korobov, 62, entered the murky world of espionage in 1980 after graduating from the defence ministry's military academy in Moscow

At the academy he received intensive instruction in foreign languages, undercover work, and surveillance avoidance techniques, among other essential spycraft skills.

Mr Korobov moved swiftly through the ranks of military intelligence, rising to second-in-command of GRU before being appointed its head in January 2016.

He was also the agency's chief of strategic intelligence, a position which gave him responsibility for collecting information on military threats to Russia, as well handling some foreign-based GRU agents.

Korobov was reportedly blamed for the response to the deaths of Sergey Skripal and his daughter Yulia who were poisoned by the chemical agent novichok in Salisbury in March

Among his list of achievements, Korobov was heavily involved in orchestrating the operations of GRU special forces officers in Syria.

Little is known about Mr Korobov's personal life beyond that he is married with two daughters. After his appointment as GRU chief, the Kommersant newspaper described him as a 'serious man'.

Mr Korobov was sanctioned by the United States in December 2016 over 'efforts to undermine democracy' by organising hacker attacks ahead of the presidential election that brought Donald Trump to power. Under his leadership, GRU has taken a major role in Russian cyberwarfare.

A statement released by the Russian Defence Ministry on Thursday read: 'The bright memory of a wonderful person, a true son of Russia, patriot of the Fatherland, Colonel-General Igor V. Korobov will forever remain in our hearts.

'We express our condolences to the relatives and friends of the deceased.'

Colonel Korobov was also said to have drawn flak from Russian government officials for his handling of the MH17 downing

Korobov's predecessor Igor Sergun died suddenly back in January 2016 with many Russian news outlets saying the 'circumstances surrounding his death were not clear'.

Two days after Sergun's passing Russian tabloid newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda claimed he had died from a heart attack in Moscow.  

But the theory was soon blasted by US based global intelligence company Stratfor who alleged he had died on New Years Day in Lebanon. 

Two months later, Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar alleged Sergun was killed on a visit to Beirut in a 'complicated secret mission' carried out by unnamed Arab and Middle Eastern intelligence agencies.

However, the Kremlin stringently denied the allegations.  

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News Pictures Head of Russian spy agency Igor Korobov ‘dies aged 63 after a long illness’ 

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