Senior Russian Military Intelligence Chief Shot in Moscow Amid Rising Tensions

A senior leader of Russia’s military intelligence service has been shot and wounded in Moscow, in an incident that deepens tensions surrounding the ongoing war in Ukraine and recent peace efforts.

Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev, the first deputy head of Russia’s GRU intelligence agency since 2011, was hospitalised after being shot multiple times at a residential apartment block, according to Russia’s Investigative Committee.

Spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko confirmed the attack but declined to speculate on the identity or motive of the assailant.

The shooting comes just one day after Russian, Ukrainian and United States negotiators concluded talks in Abu Dhabi aimed at ending the nearly four-year conflict in Ukraine. Moscow and Washington also recently agreed to restore high-level military dialogue, which had been suspended in late 2021 ahead of the war.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said President Vladimir Putin had been briefed on the incident, stressing the need for law enforcement agencies to “step up protection of senior military officers.”

Ukrainian authorities did not immediately comment. However, Ukraine’s security service (SBU) has previously acknowledged involvement in assassinations of senior Russian figures.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described the shooting as an apparent “terrorist act” intended to undermine peace efforts, but said investigations would be handled by law enforcement agencies.

Russian newspaper Kommersant reported that the attacker allegedly posed as a delivery worker and shot the general in a stairwell. Alekseyev was reportedly wounded in the foot and arm and later shot in the chest while trying to disarm the attacker, who fled the scene.

The 64-year-old general, born in Soviet-era Ukraine, played a key role in Russian military operations in Syria and Ukraine. He was awarded the Hero of Russia medal for his role in Moscow’s Syria campaign and has been under sanctions by the United States, Britain and the European Union.

The attack adds to a growing list of high-profile killings of senior Russian military figures. In April 2025, Lt Gen Yaroslav Moskalik was killed in a car bomb attack near Moscow, while Lt Gen Igor Kirillov, head of Russia’s nuclear, biological and chemical protection forces, was killed in a bombing in December 2024 — an attack later claimed by Ukraine’s security service.

The latest shooting is expected to further strain diplomatic efforts and heighten security concerns in Moscow.