A high-ranking general in Russia's military, Lt Gen Vladimir Alexeyev, has been shot several times and wounded in Moscow. Alexeyev was immediately taken to hospital following the attack, which occurred in a residential building on the city's north-western outskirts. His current condition is not known.
As a senior official in the main directorate of Russia's military general staff (GRU), Alexeyev has become the latest target in a series of attacks on high-ranking military figures since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began nearly four years ago. Previously, he was placed under European Union sanctions due to the GRU's involvement in the 2018 nerve agent attack in Salisbury, UK.
According to Svetlana Petrenko from Russia's Investigations Committee, a criminal case for attempted murder has been initiated following the incident. Alexeyev has been influential during the Ukraine war and participated in negotiations during the Russian siege of Mariupol in 2022. He was also involved in talks with Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner Group, during a notable mutiny in June 2023.
It remains unclear who is behind the shooting, which took place on Volokolamsk Highway. Ukraine has previously claimed responsibility for some attacks on Russian military personnel. In January, an Uzbek man was sentenced for the murder of another general in a bomb attack in Moscow, which Ukraine's intelligence agency claimed responsibility for. Additionally, last December, another high-ranking GRU officer was killed in an explosive incident.
The Russian military continues to face threats even within its own borders, as investigations into the assassination attempts on its officials bring to light a troubling trend.
As a senior official in the main directorate of Russia's military general staff (GRU), Alexeyev has become the latest target in a series of attacks on high-ranking military figures since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began nearly four years ago. Previously, he was placed under European Union sanctions due to the GRU's involvement in the 2018 nerve agent attack in Salisbury, UK.
According to Svetlana Petrenko from Russia's Investigations Committee, a criminal case for attempted murder has been initiated following the incident. Alexeyev has been influential during the Ukraine war and participated in negotiations during the Russian siege of Mariupol in 2022. He was also involved in talks with Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner Group, during a notable mutiny in June 2023.
It remains unclear who is behind the shooting, which took place on Volokolamsk Highway. Ukraine has previously claimed responsibility for some attacks on Russian military personnel. In January, an Uzbek man was sentenced for the murder of another general in a bomb attack in Moscow, which Ukraine's intelligence agency claimed responsibility for. Additionally, last December, another high-ranking GRU officer was killed in an explosive incident.
The Russian military continues to face threats even within its own borders, as investigations into the assassination attempts on its officials bring to light a troubling trend.
