Moscow Blames Ukraine After Wagner-Linked GRU General Shot in Moscow

Russia accused Ukraine Friday of orchestrating an assassination attempt after Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseyev, a top GRU officer born in Ukraine, was shot and hospitalized in a Moscow apartment building.

The gunman, described by Russian investigators as an “unidentified individual,” fled the scene. Alekseyev, deputy head of Moscow’s GRU military intelligence, survived the attack and was admitted to hospital.

Kyiv has not commented. Ukrainian forces have previously claimed responsibility for the killings of several high-ranking Russian officials since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Alekseyev currently serves as deputy to Adm. Igor Kostyukov, the head of Russia’s military intelligence, officially known as the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces (GRU), and is heading Russia’s delegation in ongoing talks in the United Arab Emirates.

Moscow Points Finger at Kyiv

In televised remarks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Ukraine of a “terrorist act” aimed at disrupting peace talks.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the incident was being investigated by Russia’s secret services, with President Vladimir Putin kept informed.

“The special services are doing their job,” Peskov said. “We wish the general a speedy recovery. We hope that will be the case.”

Longtime GRU deputy chief

Alekseyev has held the post of first deputy chief of GRU since 2011. Born in the village of Holodky in Ukraine’s Vinnytsia region, he graduated from the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School and rose through Russia’s military intelligence ranks.

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Russia’s Air Defense Problems Are Growing

Moscow did not expect such a war at the start of the full-scale invasion. Now many Russians have gone into panic mode as they watch Ukrainian drones hit targets in Russia almost at will. It seems the tables have turned and Moscow is now on the back foot, forced to adapt to how Ukrainians have managed to scale up quantities of relatively cheap drones to inflict heavy damage on Russia’s air defense capabilities.

He has been involved in senior-level military planning for years, including overseeing operations in Syria. In 2017, Alekseyev was awarded the title “Hero of Russia,” one of the nation’s highest state honors.

Ties to mercenaries and Wagner mutiny talks

Alekseyev is known for close links to Russia’s volunteer and mercenary formations, including units later consolidated under the Wagner group.

During the June 2023 Wagner mutiny, he took part in negotiations with the group’s founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin, alongside Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov. At the time, Alekseyev publicly condemned the mutiny and called on Wagner fighters to lay down their arms.

He also helped create Russia’s so-called Volunteer Corps, incorporating paramilitary units such as Redut and the now-disbanded Espanola brigade, which included former football hooligans.

Under sanctions for Ukraine, cyber operations, and Skripal case

Alekseyev has been sanctioned by Western governments for years. The United States targeted him in 2016 for cyber operations linked to election interference, while the European Union sanctioned him in 2019 over the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, UK.

Ukraine’s military intelligence agency has accused Alekseyev of identifying targets for Russian missile and air strikes in Ukraine and of helping legitimize Moscow’s occupation in captured territories through orchestrated referendums.