In Moscow, an assassination attempt was made on General Vladimir Aleksejev, the first deputy head of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate, on February 6. The attack occurred around 7 AM at a building on Volokolamsk Highway, where the general was ambushed on a staircase as he was heading to work. Despite being shot multiple times, Aleksejev managed to resist and prevent the assailant from completing his attack, but he was seriously injured and required hospitalization.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov condemned the attack, labeling it a terrorist act and insinuating a connection to efforts by Ukrainian authorities to disrupt peace negotiations regarding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. This incident marks a significant moment of violence in the context of the war, as it directly targets a high-ranking military official closely associated with Russian intelligence operations.

The implications of this attack could extend beyond the immediate harm to General Aleksejev; it may escalate tensions in the already fraught political atmosphere between Russia and Ukraine. Given Lavrov's assertion linking the incident to Ukraine's attempts to influence the war's negotiations, the situation might provoke further retaliatory measures from Russia, intensifying the conflict and complicating diplomatic efforts for resolution.