Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Alleged assassination attempt carried out on Russia military official

Putin’s senior general shot ‘several times’ in Moscow by unknown suspect
  • Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, deputy head of Russia's military intelligence (GRU), was shot in an attempted assassination at his Moscow apartment on Friday.
  • He is in a serious condition in hospital after sustaining gunshot wounds to an arm, a leg, and his chest during a struggle with an unidentified assailant.
  • Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Ukraine of orchestrating the attack to sabotage peace talks, an accusation made without immediate evidence.
  • Alexeyev, a recipient of the Hero of Russia award, has previously faced US sanctions for alleged interference in the 2016 US presidential election and EU sanctions over the 2018 Skripal poisoning.
  • The Kremlin confirmed President Putin has been briefed on the incident, with intelligence services investigating, and acknowledged the inherent risks for military commanders during wartime.
In full

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in