General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
On 22 January 2016, the "Financial Times", citing anonymous "senior western intelligence officials", claimed that Russian general Igor Sergun, the director of GRU, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, had shortly before his sudden death on 3 January 2016 been sent to Damascus with a message from Vladimir Putin asking that President Assad step aside. The "Financial Times"' report was promptly denied by Putin's spokesman.