High-Profile Russian General Shot in Moscow

Sat Feb 07 2026 10:57:31 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Lt Gen Vladimir Alexeyev, a key figure in Russia’s military intelligence, was brutally attacked in Moscow, raising tensions amidst ongoing war negotiations.

In a shocking incident, Lt Gen Vladimir Alexeyev, the second-in-command of Russia's GRU intelligence, was shot several times in Moscow. Taken to the hospital in critical condition, the attack has fueled allegations against Ukraine, with Russian officials claiming it aims to disrupt peace negotiations. Investigation efforts are underway as the search for the attacker continues.

A high-profile general in Russia's military has been shot several times and wounded in Moscow.

Lt Gen Vladimir Alexeyev, 64, was taken to hospital after the attack in a residential block of flats in the north-western outskirts of the capital, and is believed to be in a serious condition. The attacker fled the scene.

Alexeyev is number two in the main directorate of Russia's GRU military intelligence and the latest high-ranking military figure to have been targeted in or near Moscow since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

No one has so far claimed the attack, but senior Russian officials immediately blamed Ukraine, saying it was trying to derail negotiations to end the war.

The victim has been taken to one of the city's hospitals, said Svetlana Petrenko of Russia's Investigations Committee (SK), which said it opened a criminal case for attempted murder.

Investigators are searching CCTV footage for clues and began interviewing potential witnesses of the attack on Friday morning on Volokolamsk Highway.

A neighbour of Alexeyev told the Reuters news agency she had been woken by the sound of several shots and had then heard another neighbour screaming for help.

Alexeyev has played a significant role during the war in Ukraine, taking part in talks with Ukraine during the Russian siege of the city of Mariupol in 2022. Earlier he was awarded the title Hero of Russia for his contributions during Moscow's military intervention in Syria's civil war.

His boss at the GRU, Igor Kostyukov, has been in charge of Russia's negotiating team at peace talks with Ukrainian and US teams in Abu Dhabi, the latest round of which ended without a major breakthrough.

Following the attack, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Ukraine of perpetrating a terrorist act aimed at disrupting the negotiation process. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that President Vladimir Putin is being briefed on the situation and expressed hopes for Alexeyev's recovery.

This incident adds to a troubling trend of violence targeting Russian military officials amid the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, raising questions about security and stability within the region.