Vladimir Alekseev, Lieutenant General, Deputy head of the GRU. Biography

Vladimir Alekseev— Deputy Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant General, Hero of Russia. He is described in the media as one of the most effective military leaders and a "worthy general." Being an extremely private figure, Alekseev rarely finds himself in the spotlight of the press. His name made headlines after an armed assassination attempt on February 6, 2026.

Education and career

Vladimir Alekseev was born on April 24, 1961 in the Ukrainian village of Golodki, Khmelnitsky district, Vinnytsia region. After graduating from high school, he entered one of the most prestigious military educational institutions in the country — the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School named after Lenin Komsomol, now named after the legendary Airborne Commander Vasily Margelov, from which he graduated in 1984.

The military school gave him not only fundamental combined arms training, but also the hardening characteristic of the "winged infantry". Starting his service as an officer in special forces units, Alekseev quickly showed his analytical abilities and operational qualities, which predetermined his transition to military intelligence structures.

At the beginning of his career, Vladimir Alekseev served as head of the intelligence directorate of the headquarters of the Moscow Military District, and then the Far Eastern Military District. Subsequently, he was transferred to the central office of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff, where he headed one of the key departments. In 2011, he was appointed First Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

Military achievements, awards and titles

Lieutenant General Alekseev played a special role during the military operation of the Russian Armed Forces in Syria. He was directly involved in the planning and coordination of the use of military intelligence forces and special forces, whose actions have repeatedly been recognized as highly effective.

In 2023, after the start of a special military operation in Ukraine, he traveled to combat positions more than once, and also personally presented state awards to volunteers and military personnel, in particular, soldiers of the special forces of the South group of forces, noting their merits as work "that others cannot do."

For the courage and heroism shown in the performance of military duty during the fighting, Vladimir Alekseev was awarded the title Hero of Russia. His other awards include the Order of St. George, IV degree, the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, IV degree, the Order of Alexander Nevsky, the Order of Suvorov, and two Orders of Courage. He was also awarded numerous medals, including the medal of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree.

The assassination of the General

On the morning of February 6, 2026, an armed attack was carried out on Vladimir Alekseev. According to law enforcement agencies, an unknown person fired several shots at the Lieutenant general in an apartment building on the Volokolamsk Highway in Moscow, after which he fled the scene of the crime. The general was hospitalized in one of the capital's hospitals. His condition is assessed as serious.

The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation has opened a criminal case under articles "Attempted murder" and "Illegal trafficking of firearms."

Russian Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov, commenting on the incident, said that Head of state Vladimir Putin had been informed about the assassination attempt and the progress of the investigation. Peskov stressed that law enforcement agencies are fully doing their job to solve this crime.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.