Russia has blamed Ukraine for the attempted assassination of Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev, a senior military intelligence official, who was shot in Moscow. The attack comes amid ongoing peace efforts, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claiming it shows President Volodymyr Zelenskyy seeks to derail the peace process.
Lavrov's remarks, reported by Reuters, followed talks in Abu Dhabi earlier this week. The Kremlin narrative was presented without any supporting evidence, as noted by observers.
Alekseyev, who plays a major role in Russia's intelligence services, was taken to hospital after being shot. Oleg Tsaryov, a pro-Kremlin Ukrainian figure close to Alekseyev, said the general had undergone surgery and remained in a coma. The attack is seen as a significant failure of Russia's security services to protect key military personnel deep inside the country.
Ukraine has not officially commented on the shooting. However, Denys Prokopenko, commander of Ukraine's Azov regiment, wrote on social media that no war criminal would ever feel safe, accusing Alekseyev of responsibility for the systematic torture of captured Azov fighters. Prokopenko said Alekseyev had been the senior Russian representative during negotiations over captured soldiers during the siege of Mariupol in May 2022.
