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GRU general hospitalized after shooting in Moscow
Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, a senior official in Russia's military intelligence, was shot multiple times on Friday morning in a residential area on the outskirts of Moscow. He was rushed to a city hospital, though his condition remains undisclosed.
Role in Russia's military and past controversies
Alexeyev serves in the Main Directorate of the General Staff (GRU), Russia's military intelligence agency. He has been a key figure in the war in Ukraine, participating in negotiations during the 2022 siege of Mariupol and later engaging with Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin amid the mercenary group's brief mutiny in June 2023.
The European Union imposed sanctions on Alexeyev following allegations that the GRU orchestrated the 2018 nerve agent attack in Salisbury, UK.
Investigation launched into attempted murder
Russia's Investigative Committee confirmed the incident, stating it had opened a criminal case for attempted murder. Svetlana Petrenko, a spokesperson for the committee, said Alexeyev was hospitalized but provided no further details about his status.
The attack occurred in a residential building on Volokolamsk Highway, though authorities have not identified any suspects or motives.
Pattern of attacks on Russian military leaders
Alexeyev is the latest high-ranking Russian military official targeted since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. In January, an Uzbek national was convicted for the 2024 killing of General Igor Kirillov, who led Russia's Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Protection troops, in a Moscow apartment bombing. Ukraine's SBU intelligence agency claimed responsibility for that attack.
In December 2025, Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, head of the GRU's operational training department, died when an explosive device detonated under his car in Moscow.
While Ukraine has previously taken credit for strikes against Russian military figures, no group has claimed responsibility for Friday's shooting. Russian intelligence reported foiling an assassination attempt on a soldier in St. Petersburg last month.
Uncertainty surrounds motive and perpetrators
As of Friday, investigators have not disclosed any leads in the case. The attack adds to a series of high-profile incidents targeting Russian military and intelligence officials, raising questions about internal security and external threats.
