Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, a high-profile figure and deputy director in Russia's GRU military intelligence, was shot three times on Friday in a residential block of flats on the north-western outskirts of Moscow. The 64-year-old general was rushed to hospital in critical condition, though Russian media reports indicate he has since regained consciousness after surgery and is expected to recover. Alexeyev is a significant figure, known for providing intelligence for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, overseeing private military companies, and participating in negotiations with Yevgeny Prigozhin during the Wagner group's brief mutiny in 2023. He is also subject to sanctions from Washington for alleged involvement in interfering in the 2020 US presidential election and from the UK for the 2018 novichok nerve agent attack in Salisbury.

Russia's Investigations Committee (SK) and Federal Security Service (FSB) swiftly identified three suspects involved in the attack. The alleged gunman, Ukrainian-born Russian citizen Lyubomir Korba, was said to have arrived in Moscow in late December "on assignment from Ukrainian intelligence services to commit a terrorist attack." After firing three shots, Korba fled to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) hours after the shooting. Russian authorities, with assistance from the UAE, arrested and extradited Korba. Security agents were shown escorting him off a plane on Russian state TV. President Vladimir Putin reportedly thanked UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his country's help in catching Korba. Investigators discovered the murder weapon, a Makarov pistol with a silencer and three rounds of ammunition, at the scene of the attack, which occurred at an apartment complex seven miles north of the Kremlin.

The incident has sparked conflicting narratives between Russia and Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Kyiv of carrying out the attack to disrupt ongoing negotiations aimed at ending the war between the two countries. The attack on Alexeyev occurred just a day after Russian and Ukrainian delegations, including Alexeyev's direct superior, GRU head Admiral Igor Kostyukov, met in Abu Dhabi for trilateral talks with the US, where both sides reportedly discussed apparent progress. Russia views the shooting as a "terrorist attack."

Conversely, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha vehemently denied Kyiv's involvement, suggesting the shooting was an "internal Russian affair" or the result of Russian "in-fighting." Ukrainian intelligence agencies, while accused by Russia, have historically targeted Russian military officers and officials, particularly those involved in alleged war crimes. Ukraine's SBU intelligence previously claimed responsibility for the 2024 killing of General Igor Kirillov in Moscow, and another high-ranking GRU officer, Lt Gen Fanil Sarvarov, was killed in December 2023 when an explosive device detonated under his car in Moscow. The shooting of Alexeyev is seen by some as the latest failure of Russia's security services to protect senior military personnel within Russia, with military bloggers criticizing apparent security lapses.

In addition to Korba, Russian authorities have arrested Viktor Vasin in Moscow, charging him as an alleged accomplice. A woman named Zinaida Serebritskaya is also believed to be involved, though her role was not elaborated on, and she has since reportedly fled to Ukraine. The broader context of these attacks highlights the ongoing covert operations and heightened tensions in or near Moscow since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.