A Russian military leader was shot at an apartment building in Moscow on Friday. Lt. Gen Vladimir Alekseyev, 64, was shot and injured. Alekseyev has been the first deputy head of Russia's military intelligence since 2011.
His assailant has not been identified, but the attack follows a series of high-profile assassinations of Russian military leaders. Russia has blamed Ukraine for these attacks.
Alekseyev was shot several times, according to Investigative Committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko. Alekseyev "was decorated with the Hero of Russia medal for his role in Moscow’s military campaign in Syria and, in June 2023, was filmed speaking to mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin when his Wagner Group seized the military headquarters in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don during his botched mutiny," the New York Post reports.
Russia and Ukraine have been locked in battle since February 2022 when Russia invaded their neighboring nation. Peace talks have been off and on and most recently, negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the US were in Abu Dhabi discussing how to end the conflict.
Russian officials have been killed in recent years, including the car bomb killing of Lt. Gen Fanil Sarvarov, who had been in charge of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces' General Staff. Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik was also killed by a bomb placed near his car in Moscow. Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov was also killed in an attack that took the life of his assistant, as well.
Ukraine has taken responsibility for some of the killings but has not come forward in the Alekseyev case. In spring 2025, following the killing of Moskalik, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the head of his nation's foreign intelligence agency had given him a report on the "liquidation" of Russia's top military leaders. Ukraine was responsible for the killing of Moskalik. Zelensky said at the time, "justice inevitably comes."
His assailant has not been identified, but the attack follows a series of high-profile assassinations of Russian military leaders. Russia has blamed Ukraine for these attacks.
Alekseyev was shot several times, according to Investigative Committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko. Alekseyev "was decorated with the Hero of Russia medal for his role in Moscow’s military campaign in Syria and, in June 2023, was filmed speaking to mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin when his Wagner Group seized the military headquarters in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don during his botched mutiny," the New York Post reports.
Russia and Ukraine have been locked in battle since February 2022 when Russia invaded their neighboring nation. Peace talks have been off and on and most recently, negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the US were in Abu Dhabi discussing how to end the conflict.
Russian officials have been killed in recent years, including the car bomb killing of Lt. Gen Fanil Sarvarov, who had been in charge of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces' General Staff. Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik was also killed by a bomb placed near his car in Moscow. Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov was also killed in an attack that took the life of his assistant, as well.
Ukraine has taken responsibility for some of the killings but has not come forward in the Alekseyev case. In spring 2025, following the killing of Moskalik, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the head of his nation's foreign intelligence agency had given him a report on the "liquidation" of Russia's top military leaders. Ukraine was responsible for the killing of Moskalik. Zelensky said at the time, "justice inevitably comes."
