Deputy Chief Of Russian Military Intelligence Shot In Moscow In Latest Attack On Top Brass

Last Updated:February 06, 2026, 16:43 IST

Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev of the GRU was shot in Moscow amid rising attacks on Russian officers since the Ukraine war.

A senior Russian military officer was rushed to hospital on Friday after being shot multiple times in Moscow, investigators said, marking the latest in a string of attacks targeting high-ranking figures since the war in Ukraine began.

Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, deputy head of Russia’s military intelligence agency, the GRU, was attacked at a residential building in northwest Moscow, according to the city prosecutor’s office. The assailant fled the scene, and no arrests have been announced so far.

Alexeyev, who was born in Soviet Ukraine, was shot several times and taken to hospital. His condition was not immediately disclosed.

The shooting comes amid heightened tensions as Russia and Ukraine engage in US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi. Alexeyev’s superior, Igor Kostyukov, is currently leading Russia’s delegation in negotiations focused on security aspects of a possible peace deal.

Since the start of the war, several senior Russian officers have been assassinated, with Moscow repeatedly blaming Kyiv. In some cases, Ukrainian military intelligence has publicly claimed responsibility. Since December 2024 alone, three other lieutenant generals—the same rank as Alexeyev—have been killed in or near Moscow.

The attacks have sparked anger among prominent Russian war bloggers, who have questioned why such senior officials appear to lack adequate protection. In at least two recent cases, the officers were killed just outside their homes.

One of those was Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, head of the General Staff’s army training directorate, who was killed on December 22 when a bomb planted under his car exploded.

Alexeyev is a key figure within Russia’s defence establishment and was responsible for managing relations between the Defence Ministry and the Wagner Group, the mercenary force once led by Yevgeny Prigozhin. Wagner played a major role in some of the fiercest fighting during the early stages of the Ukraine war.

Prigozhin was a fierce critic of Russia’s military leadership and led a short-lived mutiny in June 2023. Alexeyev was among the senior officials dispatched to negotiate with him during the standoff. The mutiny collapsed within days, and Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash two months later.

The latest shooting is likely to further raise concerns within Russia’s security establishment as the conflict with Ukraine approaches its fourth year.

News world Deputy Chief Of Russian Military Intelligence Shot In Moscow In Latest Attack On Top Brass

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