Senior Russian official Shot in Moscow

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Moscow: A senior Russian military official was seriously wounded on Friday morning after an unknown attacker opened fire on him in a residential area of the capital, authorities said. Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev, the first deputy head of Russia’s military intelligence service (GRU), was taken to a hospital after being shot multiple times in the city’s northwest.

The incident occurred near an apartment building on Volokolamskoye Highway, according to the Investigative Committee of Russia, which said the assailant fled before police arrived. A criminal probe into attempted murder and illegal firearm possession has been launched.

Alekseyev, who has served in the GRU’s top ranks since 2011, has been sanctioned by Western governments over alleged involvement in operations including the 2018 Salisbury nerve agent poisoning and cyber-related activities. He also played a key role in handling relations with the Wagner mercenary group during its brief 2023 mutiny.

His shooting comes amid a series of attacks on high-ranking Russian military officials since the start of the Ukraine war, including a car bombing last December that killed Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov. Russian media and commentators have expressed alarm at how such senior figures have been targeted deep inside Moscow.

Moscow has often attributed previous assassinations of senior officials to Ukrainian intelligence, though Kyiv has not commented on this latest shooting. Security services are reviewing CCTV footage and questioning witnesses as the search for the gunman continues.

The general’s current medical condition has not been publicly updated, and it remains unclear whether he will recover from his injuries.

Photo credit:AFP