Russian journalists in front of the building where Russian general Vladimir Alekseev was shot. Photo source: Kommersant Photo Agency / ddp USA / Profimedia
Russian pro-war channels and military correspondents close to the Kremlin reacted harshly after the assassination attempt on General Vladimir Alekseev, deputy head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Russian Army (GRU), calling the incident a “new slap” given to Moscow by the Ukrainian secret services, informs the independent Russian publication Meduza.
The reactions, published on influential Telegram channels and those affiliated with Russian propaganda, suggest that there is a wide range of increasingly open dissatisfaction with the way Moscow handles the security of its own military commanders.
According to these voices, Alekseev is considered a symbolic opponent by Ukraine, being associated with the capitulation of the Ukrainian garrison at the Azovstal compound in 2022.
The assassination attempt is presented by propagandists as proof that the Ukrainian secret services are capable of operating beyond the front line, deep into Russian territory. “How long?” asked a pro-Kremlin voice.
According to Meduza, which summarized the reactions coming from pro-war channels, voices close to the regime are asking why Russian generals benefit from less protection than politicians and high-ranking officials, and why the issue of the security of the military leadership is being discussed only after four years of war in Ukraine.
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They also cited the lack of similar actions by Russia against the Ukrainian military leadership, recalling that since the beginning of the invasion, at least 15 generals in Moscow's army have died, some as a result of targeted attacks, while there is no public information about the “elimination” of Ukrainian generals by the Russian secret services.
Russian propagandists, angry that high-ranking military personnel are not protected
In the messages distributed on Telegram channels, the authors claim that some Russian military commanders, described as “patriots”, like the former number 2 in the GRU, do not benefit from special protection, unlike politicians and government officials, who are guarded by the Federal Protection Service.
“They are the ones who do harm.” The propagandists also say that no one would try to eliminate corrupt politicians from Russia, giving the example of Timur Ivanov, the former deputy of Sergei Shoigu at the Ministry of Defense, the “glamorous general” sentenced to 13 years in prison for embezzlement and money laundering.
Deputy head of the GRU, General Vladimir Alekseev, was shot dead in Moscow on Friday by an unknown assailant.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Ukraine of an assassination attempt to sabotage the peace negotiations. Kiev denied any involvement, through the voice of Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sîbiha.
Russia's negotiating team is made up exclusively of military personnel and is led by the head of the GRU, Admiral Igor Kostiukov.
