Russia's Number Two Military Intelligence Officer Gunned Down Outside His Own Apartment

The second-in-command of the Russian Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, also known as the GRU, Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, was gunned down in a stairwell outside his 24th-floor apartment in Moscow. According to reports, a lone gunman fired multiple rounds into Alexeyev and fled. Alexeyev is currently hospitalized in "serious" condition. Yep, I'd imagine so. I also think that between multiple bullet wounds and Russian medical care, this fellow is cooked.

Alexeyev has been a fixture in the GRU for some time and has been behind some of its higher-profile operations. Alexeyev was placed under U.S. sanctions over Russian cyber interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The European Union imposed sanctions on him over the poisoning of former Russian agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the English city of Salisbury in 2018; see U.S. Expels 60 Russian Intel Agents in Response to Skripal Poisoning – RedState.

Since the Russia-Ukraine War started, Alexeyev has been associated with targeting the Ukrainian civilian population, non-military facilities, and first responders.

BREAKING:

The deputy head of Russia’s military intelligence agency GRU has been shot several times in Moscow

Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, responsible for coordinating missile & air strikes against Ukrainian civilian targets, is now fighting for his life in hospital

🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/Bj020tQd5a

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) February 6, 2026

At first blush, it would seem like Alexeyev has joined the company of other assassinated Russian military and political figures. 

• Darya Dugina. August 20, 2022. Killed by a car bomb in the Moscow region. She was the daughter of pro-war nationalist Alexander Dugin; the bomb may have been intended for him (attempt on Dugin, successful on Dugina). See Putin's War. Week 26: A Bizarre Assassination in Moscow, a Nuclear Power Plant Held Hostage, and Ukraine Launches (Maybe) Its First Offensive – RedState.
• Vladen Tatarsky. April 2, 2023. Killed by a bomb concealed in a statuette presented to him in a St. Petersburg cafe. He was a pro-war Russian military blogger. See Putin's War, Week 58. All Dressed up and No Place to Go – RedState.
• Zakhar Prilepin (attempt), May 6, 2023. Survived a car bombing in the Nizhny Novgorod region. He is a Russian nationalist writer and pro-war figure; his driver was killed. See Putin's War, Week 63. Chechens Replace Wagner in Bakhmut, Storm Shadow Arrives, and Russia Says 'Family Guy' Is a Meany-Pants – RedState.
• Stanislav Rzhitsky. July 11, 2023. Shot dead while on a morning run in Krasnodar. He was a former Russian submarine commander accused of targeting Ukrainian population centers. See Putin's War, Week 72. Ukraine Misses NATO Membership but Still Wins and Ground Combat Gains Velocity – RedState.
• Illia Kyva. December 6, 2023. Shot dead near Moscow. He was a former Ukrainian lawmaker regarded by Kyiv as a traitor.
• Igor Kirillov. December 17, 2024. Killed outside a Moscow apartment building along with his assistant when a bomb hidden in an electric scooter exploded. He was chief of Russia's Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops.
• Valery Trankovsky. November 13, 2024. Killed by a bomb planted under a car in Sevastopol, Crimea. He was a Russian naval captain accused by Kyiv of targeting the Ukrainian civilian population.
• Andrei Korotkiy. October 4, 2024. Killed in a car bomb attack. He was an employee at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, described as a collaborator. See Putin's War, Week 136. Secret Tech Compromised, Dead North Koreans, and Putin Gets a Birthday Greeting – RedState.
• Yaroslav Moskalik. April 25, 2025. Killed by a car bomb near Moscow. He was deputy head of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff. See Senior Russian General Is No More After Car Bomb Outside Moscow – RedState.
• Fanil Sarvarov. December 22, 2025. Killed by a bomb that exploded under his Kia Sorento in southern Moscow. He was head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov quickly blamed (or credited, depending upon your point of view) Ukraine with the botched murder.

There is no doubt that Ukraine has been active in eliminating military and civilian figures who are either providing propaganda cover for the war or who have participated in war crimes. However, I think the shooting of Alexeyev merits a bit closer look.

First, how does the number two guy in the GRU not have a security detail? And what in the hell is he doing in a stairwell on the 24th floor? Was he a Crossky Fitsky fanatic?

How does a lone gunman get into his apartment building and intercept Alexeyev, possibly in a stairwell, though I'm open to him having been forced into the stairwell at gunpoint, shoot him, and then make good his escape?

So far, Ukraine's weapon of choice for striking targets in Moscow has been the car bomb. A botched shooting doesn't seem to fit the pattern.

If we look back, we find that Alexeyev was briefly arrested and suspended from duty (Chaos Reigns as 28 Top Russian Commanders Are Sacked or Disappeared After Prigozhin's Revolt but He Lives Large in St. Petersburg – RedState) after Yevgeny Prigozhin's failed putsch in June 2023 (Russia Faces Either a Military Mutiny or Coup D'Etat From Wagner PMC Boss Prigozhin – RedState). I'd also note that he is the second senior general to be killed in the last 10 months; Yaroslav Moskalik was a deputy chief of the operational planning directorate of the Russian General Staff. But Moskalik's demise was very much out of the Ukrainian GUR's playbook.

At this point, I'd say that there is a greater than 50-50 chance that Alexeyev was taken out because of internal Russian politics than killed by Ukrainian agents. That said, good riddance.

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