Senior Russian Military Intelligence Official Targeted in Moscow Shooting
A high-ranking deputy chief of Russia's military intelligence agency was shot and wounded in Moscow on Friday, marking the latest in a series of attacks on senior military officers that Russia attributes to Ukraine. The incident occurred just one day after international negotiations aimed at ending the nearly four-year conflict in Ukraine concluded in Abu Dhabi.
Details of the Attack on Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseyev
Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseyev, the 64-year-old first deputy head of Russia's military intelligence agency known as the GRU, was hospitalized after being shot multiple times by an unidentified assailant at an apartment building in northwestern Moscow. According to Investigative Committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko, the general sustained gunshot wounds during the assault.
The business daily Kommersant reported that the attacker, posing as a delivery person, shot Alekseyev twice in the stairway of his residence, wounding him in the foot and arm. When Alekseyev attempted to wrest the gun away, he was shot again in the chest before the assailant fled the scene.
Political and Diplomatic Context
Russian President Vladimir Putin was promptly informed about the attack, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasizing that law enforcement agencies must enhance protection for senior military officers during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described the shooting as an apparent terrorist act by Ukraine intended to derail peace negotiations.
The attack occurred immediately following two days of talks in Abu Dhabi involving Russian, Ukrainian, and U.S. negotiators. The Russian delegation at these discussions was led by Alekseyev's superior, military intelligence chief Adm. Igor Kostyukov. Ukrainian authorities have not commented on the incident.
Alekseyev's Military Career and International Sanctions
Vladimir Alekseyev, who was born in Ukraine when it was part of the Soviet Union, has risen steadily through Russian military ranks. He was decorated with the Hero of Russia medal for his role in Moscow's military campaign in Syria. In June 2023, state television showed him speaking to mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin during the Wagner Group's brief mutiny when they seized military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don.
The general faces significant international sanctions:
- Washington sanctioned him for meddling in the 2016 U.S. election
- The United Kingdom and European Union imposed sanctions over his alleged role in the 2018 poisoning of former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter with the Novichok nerve agent in Salisbury, England
Pattern of Attacks on Russian Military Figures
Since Moscow launched its military operation in Ukraine in 2022, Russian authorities have repeatedly blamed Kyiv for assassinations of military officers and public figures within Russia. Ukraine has claimed responsibility for some of these attacks, creating a pattern of targeted violence:
- In December 2025, a car bomb killed Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces' General Staff
- In April 2026, Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, a deputy head of the main operational department in the General Staff, was killed by a bomb placed in his car near his apartment building outside Moscow
- In December 2024, Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, chief of the military's nuclear, biological and chemical protection forces, was killed by a bomb hidden on an electric scooter outside his residence
Following Moskalik's killing, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated he received a report from Ukraine's foreign intelligence agency about the liquidation of top Russian military figures, adding that justice inevitably comes, though he didn't mention specific names.
The shooting of Alekseyev represents another escalation in the shadow war between Russia and Ukraine, occurring against the backdrop of fragile diplomatic efforts to resolve the broader conflict. As investigations continue, the incident underscores the persistent violence extending beyond conventional battlefields into the heart of Russian territory.
