An ‘assassin’ shot a Russian general several times near his home in Moscow, according to officials.
Lt Gen Vladimir Alekseyev was walking through the stairwell of his apartment complex on Volokolamsk Highway when he was shot.
The gunman had been waiting for Alekseyev to leave his home.
After shooting Alekseyev in the back, the assailant fled the scene and remains on the loose.
Alekseyev had ‘lost a significant amount of blood’ by the time paramedics arrived, according to the Russian Telegram account Base.
Witnesses said they heard gunshots and cries for help, with a neighbour calling for an ambulance.
One told Base: ‘The entire floor is covered in blood, even the lift lobby.’
Alekseyev remains in critical condition.
The Russian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal investigation for attempted murder and illegal circulation of firearms.
Alekseyev, 64, is the deputy chief of the main directorate of the general staff at the Russian Ministry of Defence.
He was placed under European sanctions after military general staff were accused of being behind the 2018 Salisbury nerve agent attack.
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