The Investigative Committee has said that Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseev, first deputy chief of Russia’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), was targeted outside his home in Moscow on Friday.
Alekseev, 64, was shot multiple times in the back as he left his residence in western Moscow. He has been hospitalized but his condition is unknown.
Officials stated that the shooter fled the scene and is being sought by police. Investigators are working at the location.
While Russian authorities have not identified those responsible, Ukrainian intelligence previously branded Alekseev an “international criminal.” Kiev has also been linked to past assassination plots targeting Russian officials and military commanders.
Since 2011, Alekseev has served as first deputy head of the GRU, overseeing anti-terrorist operations in Syria. In 2017, he was awarded the title Hero of the Russian Federation, one of Russia’s highest honors.