A high-rise building in the northwest of the Russian capital Moscow: At around seven o’clock on Friday morning, Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev had just left his apartment on the 23rd floor. Then neighbors heard several shots. Alekseev, covered in blood, is said to have been conscious for a short time.
The Telegram channel Shot, which is said to be close to the Russian security forces, reported serious injuries to vital organs. According to the daily newspaper Kommersant The killer posed as a food delivery person and shot Alekseev’s arm and leg. When the attacked man defended himself, he was shot in the chest.
The authorities are investigating an unknown person for attempted murder. You should have photos and video recordings of the person; Which trail they will follow should be clear anyway. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov immediately placed the attack in the context of ongoing talks between the US, Russia and Ukraine about a possible end to the war: “This act of terror has once again confirmed that Zelensky’s regime is bent on constant provocations, which in turn are aimed at torpedoing the negotiation process.”
Vladimir Alekseev, born in Ukraine in 1961, has held the position of deputy head of the Russian military intelligence service GRU since 2011. In 2017 he was awarded the Hero of Russia award. These fell within his area of responsibility Wagner mercenary troop and other combat units used for foreign missions such as Redut.
Destructive penetration power
Wagner has been active in Syria since 2015, always in close cooperation with the Russian army. Later, the mercenary army led by Yevgeny Prigozhin and former GRU officer Dmitry Utkin was deployed in Ukraine. Their destructive power ensured that the Russian side reported success, but with exorbitantly high casualties within their own ranks.
When Prigozhin launched his uprising against the Kremlin in June 2023, Lieutenant General Alekseyev called on the Wagner mercenaries involved to immediately stop their resistance. This was “madness,” he said in a video speech. He was suspected of being involved in the preparations for the “March on the Kremlin” and was even briefly arrested.
He should have been aware that Alekseyev was a potential target of attacks. His face will probably be remembered by many in 2023. In addition, several of his colleagues in Moscow had been hit before him – all of them with the rank of general: Im Dezember 2024 Igor Kirillowin April 2025 Yaroslav Moskalik and last December Fanil Sarwarov.
In the fall, a court sentenced Ignat Kusin to life imprisonment for Moskalik’s murder. He is said to have committed the crime in return for promises of money from Ukraine. Nevertheless, high-ranking Russian military officials seem to feel safe in Moscow. Alekseyev lived in a new building without special security measures.