United News of Bangladesh

A high-ranking Russian military official, Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, was shot multiple times and hospitalized in Moscow on Friday, authorities said. His current condition has not been disclosed. Alexeyev, the number two official in Russia's GRU military intelligence, was attacked outside a residential building on Volokolamsk Highway in the northwestern part of the capital. The Russian Investigations Committee opened a criminal case for attempted murder, while investigators are reviewing CCTV footage and interviewing witnesses to identify the assailant, who fled the scene. Eyewitnesses described hearing several gunshots before the explosion of a suicide vest. One neighbour told Reuters that she was awakened by gunfire and heard a neighbour calling for help. Other residents assisted victims and alerted authorities. The general has played a prominent role in the war in Ukraine, including participating in negotiations during the siege of Mariupol in 2022 and mediating with Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin during the 2023 mutiny. His superior at the GRU, Igor Kostyukov, leads Russia's security talks with the United States and Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said President Vladimir Putin was briefed on the incident, adding, “We hope the general survives and recovers.” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Ukraine of involvement, although Kyiv has not commented on the attack. The incident follows a series of attacks on high-ranking Russian military officials in Moscow in recent years, including the killings of Lt Gen Igor Kirillov in 2024 and Lt Gen Fanil Sarvarov in December 2025. Alexeyev had previously been sanctioned by the EU and the UK over the GRU’s alleged role in the 2018 Salisbury nerve agent attack in the UK. The investigation is ongoing as authorities work to determine the circumstances of the shooting and identify the perpetrator.   With inputs from BBC