In a shocking incident in Moscow, Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, First Deputy Head of Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), was reportedly shot multiple times by an unknown attacker. The attack occurred near a residential building on Volokolamsk Highway in north-west Moscow, after which Alexeyev was rushed to a hospital. Authorities confirmed that a criminal investigation has been launched and the suspect remains at large.

According to Russian media reports, the assailant targeted Alexeyev from behind, firing several shots before fleeing the scene. The exact condition of the general has not been disclosed. Alexeyev, born on April 24, 1961, in Holodky, Vinnytsia Oblast, Ukraine, has served as First Deputy Head of the GRU since 2011. His military career includes leadership roles in intelligence directorates across the Moscow and Far Eastern military districts, as well as heading the 14th Directorate of the GRU.

Open-source investigations and Ukrainian authorities have linked Alexeyev to operations supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including providing targeting information for missile and bomb strikes on civilian sites and organizing pseudo-referendums in occupied territories. Reports also cite his involvement in establishing quasi-governmental structures in areas such as Kherson Oblast.

Internationally, Alexeyev has been a controversial figure. In 2016, the United States sanctioned him for organizing cyber operations targeting the U.S. presidential election. He was awarded the Hero of Russia title by a classified presidential decree in 2017 and sanctioned by Canada in 2022 for his role in Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The UK and EU have also accused him of orchestrating the 2018 Salisbury chemical attack, which targeted former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, resulting in the death of a British civilian exposed to the poison.

Alexeyev was reportedly involved in negotiating with Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin during the short-lived Wagner rebellion in 2023. While Ukraine has not been officially linked to this latest attack, Kyiv has previously carried out targeted operations against Russian officials involved in the ongoing conflict.

The shooting comes after a series of attacks on Russian military officials. Most recently, Fanil Sarvarov, head of the operational training department of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff, died on December 22 following a car bombing in Moscow.