Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev, a top Russian military intelligence official, was hospitalized in Moscow on Friday after being shot multiple times by an unidentified assailant in a residential building.

Russian authorities have opened a criminal case for attempted murder and launched a manhunt for the shooter, while Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called the attack an “act of terrorism” and blamed Ukraine, though investigators have not confirmed a Ukrainian link.

Alekseyev, 64, has served as first deputy head of Russia’s GRU since 2011 and has played key roles in intelligence operations, the Wagner Group, and Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine and Syria; he is also under US, UK, and EU sanctions.

The shooting comes shortly after Russia, Ukraine, and US negotiators concluded talks in Abu Dhabi about the war in Ukraine, the Financial Times has reported.

The attack follows a series of killings targeting senior Russian military figures in Moscow since 2022, highlighting criticism of Moscow’s repeated failure to protect its top officers.