A senior officer in the military intelligence in Russia was shot and badly wounded in the capital, Moscow, on Friday, officials announced, which marks yet another blow to one of Russia’s top security officials as the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year.
Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseyev is a GRU deputy head, but he was attacked while in the stairwell of his apartment building in the city’s northwest, near the Volokolamskoye Highway, according to reports carried by international news agencies. He was transported to the hospital in critical condition. There are no reports of what his condition is.
Media reports said citing Investigators as saying that the gunman fled and has not been identified. No group has claimed responsibility.
Alekseyev is considered to be one of the most influential leaders within the GRU ranks, being a senior official within the intelligence unit of the General Staff organization. Alekseyev has been allegedly linked to significant covert and military operations throughout Western reports, prompting sanctions being put in place within Europe and the United States. This can largely be attributed to the involvement of the GRU, particularly in foreign interference operations, and the nerve agent attack within Salisbury, England, in 2018.
The incident is the latest in a growing trend of violence against Russian military and security personnel within Russia, including in and around Moscow. Russia has repeatedly blamed Ukraine for similar killings and assassination attempts in previous incidents and again hinted that Ukraine could be involved in this latest incident. Ukraine, however, has not made any comments on the firing of Alekseyev.
In the recent past, Ukrainian intelligence has taken responsibility for some of its attacks against Russian military targets, but not all.
The attack also focuses renewed attention on security arrangements inside Russia to protect senior officials from domestic threats. While Alekseyev is an important figure, the shooting occurred in a residential area rather than near a frontline or a military facility.
Alekseyev could be linked to significant events within the war period, which included Russia’s war command and its relationship with private military forces. Alekseyev was also accused of participating in crisis meetings, which occurred during the 2023 mutiny against Wagner, led by founder Yevgeny Prigozhin, a mercenary group leader.
One of the most notable previous cases occurred in December 2024, when Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, head of Russia’s Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Protection Troops, was killed in Moscow by a bomb concealed in an electric scooter, according to Russian investigators. A Russian court later sentenced an Uzbek citizen in connection with that killing, with investigators alleging Ukrainian involvement.
Friday’s shooting is likely to deepen concerns inside Russia’s security establishment and could prompt tighter protective measures for senior officers as investigators work to determine who targeted Alekseyev—and why.
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