MOSCOW: A high-ranking Russian military official, Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev—the deputy head of the country’s military intelligence agency GRU—was shot and wounded inside his apartment building on Friday. Investigators identified him as the latest victim in a series of attacks targeting prominent security figures since the beginning of the Ukraine war.
Alexeyev, 64 years old and recently awarded Russia’s “Hero of Russia” title by President Vladimir Putin for his service, was struck multiple times during an attack by an unknown assailant who escaped the scene after opening fire. The deputy GRU head suffered gunshot wounds to his arm, leg, and chest. He has been under Western sanctions; notably, the United States sanctioned him over alleged Russian cyber interference in the 2016 US presidential election, while the European Union imposed sanctions based on the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter by a Russian agent in Salisbury in 2018.
Russian authorities stated that Alexeyev was born in Ukraine during the Soviet era. The Kremlin has accused Ukraine of orchestrating the assassination attempt, aiming to undermine ongoing peace efforts between the countries. Ukrainian military intelligence has previously claimed responsibility for killing several senior Russian officers over the same period.
Since the war began in 2022, there have been claims by both sides regarding attacks on prominent officials. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Ukraine of planning the assassination against Alexeyev. In response, Ukrainian authorities did not comment on these allegations.
The shooting has led to speculation among pro-Kremlin voices and civilians about the adequacy of security measures for top-ranking figures. Alexeyev had close ties with Russian defense leadership, especially coordinating between the Defence Ministry and the Wagner mercenary group. He also participated in negotiations related to a 2023 mutiny involving the head of the Wagner organization.
His superior, Admiral Igor Kostyukov, who leads Russia’s delegation in security-related talks with Ukraine in Abu Dhabi, has described these discussions as constructive and promised further meetings are expected. Since December last year, at least three other senior Russian officials have been killed or wounded near Moscow, including a general whose death was attributed to an explosion beneath his car.
The incident underscores the continued risk posed to high-ranking military personnel during wartime, leading Putin’s Kremlin to stress that responsibility for their security rests with national agencies.