International Assassinations and Intelligence Services

Russia says Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseyev, a deputy chief of military intelligence (GRU), was shot multiple times in a Moscow apartment building stairwell by an assailant who reportedly posed as a delivery worker; he was hospitalized, underwent surgery, is conscious and his injuries are not life‑threatening. Authorities have detained two suspects who will be interrogated and face charges including attempted murder and illegal firearms trafficking, and Russian officials — including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, without presenting evidence — blamed Ukraine and suggested the attack was meant to undermine recent U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi (where delegations discussed a 157-for-157 prisoner swap and durable peace), a claim Kyiv denies.