The invisible war between Russia and its enemies has suddenly become very visible, and very bloody, in the heart of Moscow. Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev, a man who operates in the deepest shadows of the GRU (military intelligence), is fighting for his life today after being shot multiple times in the stairwell of his apartment building on the Volokolamskoye Highway.

This was not a random mugging. This was a professional hit. Alekseyev is not just a general; he is the architect of some of Russia’s most aggressive covert operations and a key figure in the private military company ecosystem that succeeded the Wagner Group. The "So What?" is chilling: if a man with his level of security clearance and protection can be targeted in his own home, no one in the Russian military establishment is safe. The message has been delivered in 9mm bullets: We can get to you.

The Target: A Master of Hybrid War

Alekseyev’s resume reads like a charge sheet for modern hybrid warfare. He was instrumental in providing the intelligence for the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and was personally sanctioned by the US and UK for election interference and the Salisbury Novichok poisonings. He was the man sent to negotiate with Yevgeny Prigozhin during the mutiny, a testament to his status as a fixer for the impossible.

• The Timing: The shooting occurred just hours after high-level peace talks in Abu Dhabi, suggesting a deliberate attempt to derail diplomatic progress.
• The Method: The gunman knew the General’s routine, bypassed security, fired with precision, and vanished—hallmarks of a state-sponsored operation.
• The Suspects: While no one has claimed responsibility, Moscow’s gaze has instantly turned to Kyiv’s SBU or GUR, who have proven their ability to strike deep inside Russia before.

Panic in the Ranks

The attack has sent a shockwave through the "Siloviki" (security elite). Russian military bloggers are already screaming about security lapses, asking how a gunman could walk into a general's building unchallenged. This incident mirrors the assassination of other figures like Vladlen Tatarsky, but the rank of the target this time is significantly higher. It is a humiliation for the FSB, whose primary job is to prevent exactly this kind of domestic terror.

As surgeons work to save Alekseyev, the Kremlin is already spinning the narrative. But the blood on the stairs of the Volokolamskoye Highway proves that the frontline is no longer just in the Donbas—it is in the stairwells, cafes, and cars of the Russian elite.

The war was supposed to be a distant "special military operation." Today, for the Russian general staff, it is terrifyingly personal.