A Russian general, who sustained multiple gunshot wounds in Moscow on Friday, has regained consciousness following successful surgery, according to reports from Russian media outlets.
Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, serving as the deputy head of Russia’s military intelligence (GRU), was admitted to a hospital in critical condition on Friday morning. The attack occurred in the northwestern outskirts of the capital city. Authorities have reportedly apprehended two individuals in connection with the incident, with further questioning expected soon.
Russian officials have attributed the shooting to Kyiv. However, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister has denied any involvement, as reported by Reuters. Medical professionals indicated on Saturday that the immediate threat to Alexeyev’s life has passed, according to Russia’s state news agency, Tass.
The decorated general was ambushed in the stairwell of his apartment building. A gunman inflicted three bullet wounds, a source close to the investigation told the Kommersant newspaper. Initial reports suggest he was struck in the chest or abdomen before the assailant and an accomplice fled the scene. A neighbor on Volokolamsk Highway recounted being awakened by the sound of “several” shots, followed by a neighbor’s cries for help.
Alexeyev was transported to a Moscow hospital for treatment. “Afterwards, Alexeyev was placed in a medically induced coma. He has now regained consciousness. At this point, it can be cautiously stated that the threat to his life has passed,” medical sources stated, as quoted by Tass.
Investigators initiated a criminal case on Friday for attempted murder. Two suspects are scheduled for questioning, and a court hearing may take place on Sunday to decide on their pretrial detention, Kommersant reported.
Background and Context
Alexeyev, aged 64, represents the latest high-ranking military figure to be targeted in or near Moscow since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine commenced in February 2022. As the second-in-command of the GRU’s main directorate, he played a significant role in the war in Ukraine. He previously received the Hero of Russia title for his involvement in Moscow’s military intervention during the Syrian civil war.
Following accusations that the GRU was responsible for the 2018 nerve agent attack in Salisbury, UK, Alexeyev was subjected to European Union and UK sanctions. He was also involved in negotiations with Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner mercenary group, who led a brief mutiny in June 2023.
His superior at the GRU, Igor Kostyukov, has been leading Russia’s delegation in peace talks with Ukrainian and US representatives in Abu Dhabi. The most recent round of these discussions concluded on Thursday without a significant breakthrough.
Reactions and Accusations
No group has yet claimed responsibility for Friday’s attack. However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov quickly implicated Ukraine, suggesting the incident was an attempt to “disrupt the negotiation process.” In response, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha informed Reuters that Kyiv had no connection to the shooting.
Kyiv has previously claimed responsibility for attacks targeting Russian military figures. In January, an Uzbek national was sentenced for the 2024 killing of another general, Igor Kirillov, through an explosion outside an apartment building in Moscow. Sources within Ukraine’s SBU intelligence agency stated at the time that they were behind that attack. Additionally, another high-ranking GRU officer, Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, was killed when a device detonated under his car in Moscow in December. Ukraine did not issue a comment on that incident.
Russian intelligence officials reported thwarting an attempted attack on a Russian soldier in St. Petersburg late last month. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Saturday that the US had proposed peace talks between negotiators from Moscow and Kyiv on American soil for the first time, possibly in Miami. He indicated that the US aims for the war to conclude by June. Washington and Moscow have not yet issued immediate comments on this statement.