Vladimir Alekseyev (general)

Vladimir Stepanovich Alekseyev (Russian: Владимир Степанович Алексеев; born 24 April 1961) is a Russian lieutenant general who has served as first deputy head of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces (GRU) since 2011. He was awarded the title Hero of the Russian Federation for his involvement in the Russian military intervention in the Syrian civil war. Alekseyev is known to have intelligence connections to paramilitary groups around the world. The European Union and UK placed Alekseyev under sanctions after they accused the GRU of being behind the 2018 nerve agent attack in Salisbury in the UK. He was also allegedly involved in interfering in the 2020 United States presidential election.

Alekseyev was shot and seriously wounded in Moscow on 6 February 2026.