Russian general shot several times in Moscow

Lt Gen Vladimir Alexeyev, a senior figure in Russia's military general staff, was shot several times and wounded in Moscow on Friday morning, according to reports from Russia's Investigations Committee. The attack occurred in a residential building on Volokolamsk Highway on the northwestern outskirts of the city, and the general was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital. The motive behind the shooting remains unclear, but Alexeyev's high-profile role in Russia's military operations, particularly his involvement in negotiations during the siege of Mariupol in 2022 and his interactions with Wagner mercenary group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, has made him a notable figure in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine. The incident marks the latest in a series of attacks targeting high-ranking Russian military officials since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began nearly four years ago. Alexeyev was previously sanctioned by the European Union following accusations that the GRU, Russia's military intelligence agency, was involved in a 2018 nerve agent attack in Salisbury, UK. The Investigations Committee has opened a criminal case for attempted murder, but no suspects have been identified as of yet. The attack comes amid a backdrop of heightened tensions and a series of similar incidents, including the killing of Lt Gen Igor Kirillov in January 2024 and the assassination of Lt Gen Fanil Sarvarov in December 2025, both of which were linked to explosive devices in Moscow.