Kremlin Claims Kyiv Assassination Attempt! General Wounded?

Moscow is pointing fingers at Kyiv after a high-ranking Russian military intelligence officer was reportedly shot in Moscow on Friday. Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, a deputy head of Russia's GRU military intelligence, was allegedly attacked in an apartment building, according to Russian news sources. While Kyiv hasn't officially commented, they've previously claimed responsibility for offing other Russian military officials on Russian soil since the full-scale offensive began back in February 2022. This certainly adds fuel to the fire.

Kremlin Claims Kyiv Assassination Attempt! General...

Alexeyev isn't exactly a saint either. He's been slapped with Western sanctions for his alleged involvement in cyberattacks and, perhaps more significantly, for allegedly organizing the nerve agent attack on a Russian defector, Sergei Skripal, in Britain. That whole incident was a real mess, leading to a British citizen's death and further poisoning already icy relations between London and Moscow. It's a tangled web, to say the least.

Russian investigators are saying Alexeyev was shot by an "unidentified individual" who then made a quick getaway. The general is currently in the hospital. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov wasted no time accusing Ukraine of a "terrorist act," suggesting that Kyiv is deliberately trying to "disrupt the negotiation process" aimed at ending the conflict. It's a bold claim, especially considering the sensitive nature of ongoing, albeit fragile, peace talks.

Apparently, Alekseyev is a key deputy to Moscow's main negotiator at the trilateral talks involving Ukraine and the United States. The most recent round of these talks just wrapped up on Thursday in Abu Dhabi. So, the timing is definitely… interesting. It certainly raises questions about who benefits from escalating tensions right now.

The Kremlin is playing it relatively cool, acknowledging the risks faced by its military leaders at home during this conflict. "It is clear that such military leaders and high-level specialists are at risk during wartime," stated Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. He added a bit of a disclaimer, saying, "But it is not up to the Kremlin to decide how to ensure their safety. That is a matter for the special services." Peskov also mentioned that President Vladimir Putin is aware of the incident and hoping for the general's speedy recovery. Putin, however, hasn't publicly addressed the shooting, despite making public appearances on Friday. He has, in the past, been critical of the FSB for security lapses.

It's worth remembering that Alexeyev, a career military officer, was born in Ukraine back in the Soviet era. He's been a first deputy chief of the GRU since 2011. Beyond the Skripal poisoning, he also led intelligence operations during Russia's involvement in Syria, supporting President Bashar al-Assad. A lesser-known fact is that in 2023, he was the one dispatched to negotiate with Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin during that attempted mutiny against the Russian military leadership. He seems to be a man in the center of things, for better or worse. This attempted assassination certainly throws another wrench into an already complicated situation.