Lt Gen Vladimir Alexeyev was rushed to a hospital following the attack, which reportedly took place at a residential building in the Russian capital. His condition was not immediately known.

Alexeyev serves as a senior official in the Main Directorate of Russia’s General Staff, commonly known as the GRU, the country’s military intelligence agency.

He is the latest high-profile Russian military figure to be targeted since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly four years ago.

“The victim has been hospitalised at one of the city’s hospitals,” Svetlana Petrenko of Russia’s Investigative Committee was quoted as saying by the BBC.

Alexeyev is reported to have played a significant role in Russia’s military operations in Ukraine. The motive behind the shooting remains unclear, and authorities have not released further details.

The incident comes as the war in Ukraine approaches its fifth year, with continued concerns over regional and global security.

Separately, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog has warned that the conflict in Ukraine remains the world’s most serious threat to nuclear safety.

Addressing the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors, Director General Rafael Grossi said the agency remains focused on preventing a nuclear accident as fighting continues to endanger critical infrastructure, including nuclear power plants.

“The conflict in Ukraine is about to enter its fifth year,” Grossi said. “It continues to pose the world’s biggest threat to nuclear safety.”

IAEA teams remain deployed at nuclear power plants affected by the conflict and continue to issue regular updates on safety and security conditions.

The IAEA Board of Governors, the agency’s principal decision-making body, comprises representatives from 35 countries and oversees nuclear safety, security and safeguards, guiding the work of the UN nuclear watchdog. Current members include Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom and France, among others.