Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
The shooter got away.
Russian authorities are investigating a shooting in Moscow that left a senior military intelligence official seriously wounded.
The attack occurred in a residential area of the capital, according to initial reports, with the assailant managing to escape.
Details about the motive and those responsible remain unclear, and officials have offered limited public information as the inquiry gets underway.
Shooting in capital
Russian Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseev was shot several times on Feb. 6, Russian media reported, citing investigators. He was taken to hospital, while the gunman fled the scene, according to those reports.
“The killer was waiting for the Lieutenant General of the Russian Defense Ministry today near a residential building on Volokolamskoye Highway,” the Russian media channel SHOT reported according to The Kyiv Independent.
The Russian Investigative Committee said it had opened a criminal investigation into the incident, without providing further details on possible suspects.
Alekseev was rushed to the hospital following the attack. His current condition is unknown.
Senior intelligence role
Alekseev has served since 2011 as the first deputy head of Russia’s military intelligence agency, commonly known as the GRU. The position places him among the most senior figures in Russia’s security establishment.
His career has drawn international scrutiny over the past decade, particularly from Western governments that have accused him of involvement in covert operations abroad.
Sanctions and accusations
The United States sanctioned Alekseev in 2016, accusing him of organizing “malicious cyber activities” during that year’s U.S. presidential election, which resulted in Donald Trump’s first term. Russian media have reported that he was awarded the title Hero of the Russian Federation the following year.
The U.K. and European Union have also accused him of orchestrating the 2018 Salisbury chemical weapons attack on former Russian agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter. They survived, but a British civilian later died after coming into contact with the poison.
Broader context
Alekseev was among officials involved in negotiations that helped end the brief Wagner rebellion in 2023. Ukraine has not been linked to the shooting and has not commented, though Kyiv has previously targeted Russian officials connected to the war.
The attack follows other high-profile incidents, including the Dec. 22 car bombing in Moscow that killed Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, despite him being taken to hospital after the blast.
Sources: Russian Investigative Committee, SHOT, U.S. Treasury, Canadian government, U.K. authorities, The Kyiv Independent
