Russia Detains Two Over Attempted Assassination Of Intelligence General Alekseev

On Feb. 6, Russian military intelligence’s deputy chief was shot several times in the stairwell of a northwest Moscow apartment block and hospitalized with serious wounds, authorities said.

“The article reports that the European Union had targeted the individual in 2018 over involvement in the Salisbury poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter”

Abb Takk News

He was widely reported as Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev, with outlets using different spellings of his name.

Abb Takk News

Investigators opened an attempted‑murder probe, cordoned off the building, and began reviewing CCTV and witness statements while the attacker fled the scene, according to multiple reports.

President Vladimir Putin was briefed and security for senior officers was ordered increased.

Western and regional outlets emphasized Alekseyev’s senior role in the GRU, his sanctions by the U.S. and EU, and his involvement in operations in Syria and Ukraine.

Reports say the attack occurred as Alekseyev left his home.

Some outlets say the assailant posed as a delivery worker or cleaner before firing multiple rounds in a stairwell.

Al Jazeera

He was wounded in an arm, a leg and the chest during a struggle in which he reportedly tried to disarm the attacker.

The attacker then fled.

Investigators were seen at the scene reviewing CCTV footage and interviewing witnesses.

Authorities opened criminal proceedings for attempted murder and related charges.

Moscow’s official reaction was quick and politically charged.

“Summary - The excerpt reports an update from day 1,444 of Russia’s war on Ukraine (Saturday, Feb”

Al Jazeera

The Kremlin said President Putin was briefed and security services opened an investigation.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov publicly blamed Ukraine and called the shooting a 'terrorist act' intended to sabotage talks.

Kyiv has denied the claim or, in many outlets, not commented.

Several reports noted that Lavrov offered no publicly presented evidence linking Ukraine to the attack.

Western outlets also reported that investigators had not attributed responsibility when publishing initial coverage.

Analysts and many outlets placed the shooting in a broader pattern: since late 2024, a string of assassination-style attacks and killings has targeted senior Russian military and security figures in or near Moscow.

Observers note some of those incidents have been claimed by Ukrainian groups, while Russian authorities often point at Kyiv.

AP News

Alekseyev himself is repeatedly described as a sanctioned GRU figure with ties to Wagner, credited with negotiating with Yevgeny Prigozhin in 2023 and with leading GRU operations in Syria and Ukraine.

All of this context underscores why his targeting would carry strategic and symbolic weight.

Some reports, citing Kommersant and later carried by other outlets, said two suspects would soon be interrogated or were expected to be questioned.

“The article reports a series of assassinations of senior Russian military figures”

AP News

However, multiple other outlets and official statements did not confirm arrests and emphasized that the attacker remained unidentified.

Apa.az

In short, claims about two detentions remain unverified in the publicly available sourcing.

A handful of outlets reference imminent interrogations, while broader initial coverage records only an active manhunt and ongoing investigative steps.