8 February 2026

On February 6, an assassination attempt was carried out in Moscow against Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev, First Deputy Chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Federation (GRU).

The attack occurred in the stairwell of a residential building on Volokolamskoye Highway. According to available information, an unknown assailant fired several shots into the general’s chest before fleeing the scene.

The VChK-OGPU outlet reports that the hitman planned the attack carefully, timing it to coincide with a night shift change of security personnel. The attacker entered the building using his own intercom key and had his face fully concealed by a hat, mask, and jacket.

It was later established that the general was at the building on Volokolamskoye Highway without bodyguards to keep his private life secret. Neighbors said that a woman with a young child lived in the apartment. She is believed to have been his lover and was significantly younger than Alekseyev. The general reportedly visited the apartment rarely and always without security, apparently believing that this level of secrecy would allow him to go unnoticed.

The Neomax company provides security at the residential complex. At the time of the attack, a shift rotation was underway. The first report of the injured man was received by a young security guard, who was told the victim had suffered a knife wound. Despite the alarm, he did not check the situation, finished his shift, and went to rest.

ВЧК-ОГПУ и https://t.co/fFnBDf2DjT выяснили, что киллер, расстрелявший замначальника ГРУ Владимира Алексеева, зашел в подъезд в ночную смену охраны и открыл домофон своим ключом, а лицо его было полностью скрыто. Также начинает выясняться, почему генерал оказался в доме на… pic.twitter.com/5H62Uu9PRH

— ВЧК ОГПУ (Истина любит действовать открыто). (@rucriminalinfo) February 7, 2026

Two other security guards took the elevator to the 24th floor some time after the initial call. They narrowly missed the hitman, who was leaving the building at that moment, by taking the stairs. At the scene, the guards attempted to provide first aid to the wounded general and called the shift supervisor. He was later hospitalized.

As of now, reports on Vladimir Alekseyev’s condition are contradictory. The state news agency TASS reports that he regained consciousness after surgery. Meanwhile, the Russian ARKHANGEL SPETSNAZA propaganda outlet claims his condition remains serious and stable, and that he has not been brought out of a coma.

Later, Russian collaborator Oleg Tsaryov reported the detention of the suspected shooter. According to preliminary information, the hitman managed to leave Russia immediately after the attack but was tracked down in the United Arab Emirates.

The suspect is currently being transferred from Dubai to Moscow. Reports also say that an accomplice of the attacker has been detained.

Who is Alekseyev, the GRU’s Deputy Chief

According to ASTRA, Vladimir Alekseyev is considered one of the most influential officers in Russian military intelligence. He has served as First Deputy Chief of the GRU since 2011. Investigations link him to oversight of private military companies, including Redut PMC, which was created as a competitor to the Wagner Group ahead of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The European Union considers him responsible for the transportation and use of the Novichok nerve agent during the 2018 poisoning attack in Salisbury. His name also appears on lists of individuals linked to interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Notably, Alekseyev is a deputy to Igor Kostyukov, who currently heads Russia’s negotiating delegation in the United Arab Emirates.

New Details Emerge in Assassination Attempt on Russian General: Attack in Lover’s Apartment, Suspect Detained in Dubai