Moscow assassination attempt: Story of Ukraine-born general Alexeyev waging war on his homeland
Photo: Vladimir Alekseyev (Russian media)
On the morning of February 6, an unknown assailant fired several shots at Russian Defense Ministry lieutenant general Vladimir Alekseyev in Moscow, according to Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR).
Read also: Russian army general shot in Moscow: Early details from local media
Vladimir Alekseyev was born on April 24, 1961, in the village of Holodky, Khmilnyk district, Vinnytsia region. In 1984, he graduated from the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School named after V.F. Margelov.
He later served as head of intelligence directorates in the Moscow and Far Eastern military districts and was subsequently appointed head of the 14th Directorate of the GRU of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces.
Alekseyev’s activities
According to HUR, the lieutenant general is responsible for intelligence support of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, as well as for organizing missile and air strikes on Ukrainian territory.
He was also involved in organizing so-called referendums, including those related to the creation of the Kherson People’s Republic.
In addition, Alekseyev oversaw Russian military intelligence operations in Syria. In 2017, he received the title “Hero of Russia” by a classified decree for his participation in combat operations in Syria.
Alekseyev is also considered one of the creators and curators of the Wagner private military company, although at the beginning of the Wagner mutiny he publicly called on its fighters to lay down their arms.
He is also believed to have been involved in interference in the 2016 US presidential election. In particular, he allegedly supervised cyberattacks on the Democratic National Committee and efforts to discredit the US electoral system.
Attempt on Alekseyev’s life
According to Russian media, an unknown attacker shot the general several times in the back and then fled the scene. The attack occurred near a residential building on Volokolamskoye Highway.
The wounded lieutenant general was taken to a Moscow hospital and remains in intensive care.
Previous attacks on Russian generals
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, several attacks on Russian generals have been recorded inside Russia.
On December 22, 2025, Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov was killed when a bomb exploded under his Kia Sorento in southern Moscow.
On April 25 of the same year, 59-year-old Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik, deputy head of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff, was killed in a car bombing near Moscow.
Earlier, on December 17, 2024, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, head of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops, was killed along with his aide in Moscow when a bomb hidden in an electric scooter exploded near an apartment building.
