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The 64-year-old official, whose work has been recognised by President Vladimir Putin with a Hero of Russia award, was reported to be in a serious condition
A top Russian military intelligence official, Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, was shot several times in his Moscow apartment building and rushed to hospital on Friday. The 64-year-old official, whose work has been recognised by President Vladimir Putin with a Hero of Russia award, was reported to be in a serious condition in hospital.
An unidentified gunman fired several shots at the Russian official before fleeing the scene, reported Reuters. The gunman fled and investigators searched CCTV footage for clues and began interviewing witnesses.
Investigators have reportedly said Lt General Vladimir Alexeyev's shooting is the latest in a series of assassination attempts Russia has blamed on Ukraine.
Who is Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev?
Vladimir Alexeyev is the deputy head of the GRU, Russia's military intelligence arm. Such a position means that the General would have been closely involved in prosecuting Russia's war in Ukraine, reported Reuters.
Born in Ukraine when it was still part of the Soviet Union, Alexeyev was placed under U.S. sanctions over Russian cyber interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The European Union imposed sanctions on him over the poisoning of former Russian agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the English city of Salisbury in 2018.
How was the official shot?
Lt Gen Vladimir Alexeyev was immediately taken to hospital after the attack in a residential block of flats on the north-western outskirts of the Russian capital.
"The victim has been hospitalised at one of the city's hospitals," said Svetlana Petrenko of Russia's Investigations Committee, which said it opened a criminal case for attempted murder.
A neighbour of Alexeyev told the Reuters news agency she had been woken up by the sound of "several" shots and had then heard another neighbour screaming for help.
The Kommersant – a Russian media outlet reported that Alexeyev's attacker had been lying in wait as Alexeyev left his apartment to go to work. He sustained gunshot wounds to an arm, a leg and his chest during a struggle, reported the publication, citing law enforcement sources.
Ukraine accused of shooting
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Ukraine of being behind the assassination attempt, which he said - without citing evidence - was designed to sabotage peace talks.
There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.
Since the start of the war in 2022, Ukrainian military intelligence has claimed responsibility for assassinating several senior Russian officers, some of whom have appeared on a public list of Ukraine's enemies.
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