On Friday morning, an unknown person shot Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseev, the first deputy head of the GRU, in the entrance of an apartment building. He is in hospital.
This is not the first assassination attempt on high-ranking Russian military personnel in Moscow since the beginning of Russia's war against Ukraine. Therefore, journalists asked Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov what he thought about the idea of changing the place of residence of high-ranking military personnel in the current situation.
"It is clear that such military leaders and highly qualified specialists are at risk during a war," Peskov replied. "But it is not the Kremlin's business to discuss how to ensure their safety; "it's a matter for the security services," he added.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reacted more sharply. He called the assassination attempt on the general a "terrorist act," confirming Kiev's determination to provoke and "disturb the negotiation process."
The second round of talks concluded yesterday in Abu Dhabi with the participation of delegations from Russia, Ukraine and the United States. The Russian delegation was led by Alekseev's boss, GRU Director Igor Kostyukov.
Some pro-Kremlin commentators have speculated, without evidence, that the assassination attempt on Alekseev was an attempt by Ukraine to sabotage the talks, and have questioned the point of continuing such talks, Reuters reported. Since December 2024, three officials of Alekseev's rank have been killed in or near Moscow, the agency noted.
Aleksev is a little-known figure, but he is remembered for his negotiations with Yevgeny Prigozhin at the headquarters of the Southern Military District during the Wagner Cheka rebellion, which the general led. Media reports indicate that after the rebellion he was investigated for his participation in the actions of the rebel mercenaries.