'Salisbury poisoning' Russian general shot

THE Russian general said to have set up the poisoning of a double agent has been shot at his Moscow flat.

- BY STEPHEN BEECH

Vladimir Alekseyev was last night in a critical condition after being hit several times by a gunman who fled.

Security staff trawled CCTV for clues after yesterday's shooting.

Lt Gen Alekseyev is a deputy head of the GRU military intelligence unit in the defence ministry that is behind covert ops outside Russia - including assassinations, spying and sabotage.