Russian General Shot Multiple Times in Moscow: A High-Profile Attack

Sat Feb 07 2026 11:57:02 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Lt Gen Vladimir Alexeyev, a key figure in Russia's military intelligence, was shot several times in Moscow, raising concerns about security for high-ranking officials amidst ongoing conflict tensions.

In a shocking incident in Moscow, Lt Gen Vladimir Alexeyev, the deputy head of Russia's GRU military intelligence, was shot multiple times and severely injured while in a residential area. As he was rushed to the hospital, authorities initiated an investigation into the attack, which was quickly blamed on Ukraine by senior Russian officials. The incident highlights the rising dangers faced by military leaders in Russia during the ongoing conflict, especially since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

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 neighbor of Alexeyev told the Reuters news agency she had been woken by the sound of several shots and had then heard another neighbor screaming for help. This is all I heard. Other neighbors rushed out, too. They asked how they could help, should they call ambulance and police, but she had already called them.

Alexeyev played a significant role during the war in Ukraine, having participated 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 role in Moscow's military intervention in Syria's civil war.

He was placed under European Union and UK sanctions after the GRU was accused of being behind the 2018 nerve agent attack in Salisbury, UK. He was also sent to negotiate with Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner mercenary group, which led a short and bloody mutiny in June 2023.

Reports indicate that Alexeyev's boss at the GRU, Igor Kostyukov, has been leading Russia's negotiating team in peace talks with Ukrainian and US representatives in Abu Dhabi. These talks ended recently without major breakthroughs.

While the identity of the shooter remains unknown, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Ukraine of instigating this terrorist act to disrupt the negotiation process. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov informed that President Vladimir Putin was briefed on the shooting, expressing wishes for the general's recovery.

Ukraine, which has claimed responsibility for some past attacks on Russian military figures, has not yet commented on the incident. Notably, an Uzbek man was convicted earlier this year for the murder of another general in Moscow, and the tension surrounding high-ranking military officials in Russia continues to rise as the conflict persists.