A high-ranking Russian general, Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, was shot multiple times and hospitalized in Moscow. The attack occurred in a residential building on Volokolamsk Highway, and the assailant is still at large. Alexeyev, a top official in Russia’s military general staff (GRU), has played a significant role in the Ukraine war and was involved in negotiations with Ukraine and the Wagner mercenary group.

The GRU has been accused of being behind a 2018 nerve agent attack in Salisbury, UK, leading to Alexeyev’s placement under European Union sanctions. This incident is the latest in a string of attacks targeting senior Russian military officials, with Ukraine claiming responsibility for some of them.

Russian authorities have opened a criminal case for attempted murder, and an investigation is underway. The motive behind the attack is still unknown, but it comes amid ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine.