An alleged hitman has been detained in Dubai following an assassination attempt on Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev, a senior general in Vladimir Putin‘s military. The attack occurred as the general was shot while in the stairway of his apartment building. According to reports from the business daily Kommersant, the assailant, who posed as a delivery person, shot Alekseyev twice, wounding him in the foot and arm. In a struggle, the general attempted to wrestle the gun away, resulting in a third gunshot wound to his chest before the attacker fled the scene.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov commented on the incident, asserting that it should be treated as a law enforcement matter. He characterized the shooting as an apparent “terrorist act” by Ukraine, allegedly aimed at undermining ongoing peace negotiations. The incident reflects the heightened tensions surrounding the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Alekseyev, who was born in Ukraine during the Soviet era, has had a distinguished but controversial military career. He has played a significant role in Russian military operations in Syria and Ukraine and has faced sanctions from the United States, United Kingdom, and the European Union for various actions, including interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and his involvement in the 2018 poisoning of former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, England, using the nerve agent Novichok.
Since 2011, Alekseyev has served as the first deputy head of Russia’s military intelligence agency, known as the GRU. The Kremlin has confirmed that President Putin was informed about the attack. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized the need for increased protection measures for senior military personnel in light of the ongoing conflict.
Ukrainian authorities have not issued any statements regarding the attack, and the investigation is expected to continue as law enforcement agencies assess the implications of this incident. The global community watches closely as developments unfold, given the potential ramifications for diplomatic relations between Russia and Ukraine.
