INS MAG

An unknown attacker fired several shots at Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseyev in a residential building on Volokolamskoye Highway in Moscow and fled the scene, a Russian Investigative Committee spokesperson said in a statement.

The Russian Investigative Committee said its officers are at the scene and investigators are searching for the shooter. The committee has opened a criminal case into what it called the attempted murder of a high-ranking defense ministry official.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the Ukrainian government of being behind the attempted murder of Alekseyev, without citing evidence.

Ukrainian authorities have not commented on the shooting.

Alekseyev has been transferred to a city hospital, the Investigative Committee statement said. He is in intensive care and in a serious condition following the shooting, according to Russian state media.

Alekseyev, 64, is the first deputy head of Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate, the GRU. The Russian general was one of several GRU officials sanctioned by the United States in 2016 for wide-ranging malicious cyber activity directed at undermining US democratic processes.

He was also sanctioned by the European Union in January 2019 following anerve agent attackin Salisbury, England, which the British government said was carried out by GRU agents to poison a former Russian spy. The EU sanctions describe Alekseyev as "responsible for the possession, transport and use in Salisbury… of the toxic nerve agent 'Novichok' by officers from the GRU," along with sanctioned Russian military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov.

Alexseyev has had significant involvement in the war in Ukraine, serving as one of Russia's negotiators in thesecret talkswith a member of the Ukrainian parliament to end Russia's 2022 siege of the strategic city of Mariupol, Ukraine.

A Ukrainian intelligence report on Alexseyev claims he has been responsible for "the organization of the preparation of initial data for launching missile and air strikes on Ukrainian territory," including on civilian targets, as well as being responsible for theillegal referendain the occupied Ukrainian territories. Ukraine has also accused him of war crimes in Syria.

In 2023, Alekseyev was sent by the Russian military to negotiate withYevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner private mercenary group, during the Wagner group's mutiny. At the time, he called Prigozhin's actions a coup as well as "a stab in the back of the country and the president."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a Friday press briefing that the intelligence services were investigating the attack and would report any findings to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He added: "We wish the general survival and recovery."

"It is clear that such military leaders and highly qualified specialists are at risk during a war," Peskov said when asked about the security of military officials' residences. "That's a matter for the intelligence services."

A neighbor of Alekseyev told Reuters that she heard several shots around 6:30 a.m. local time Friday. The woman, who only gave her first name as Alexandra, said she "woke up because of shots" and rushed outside the residential building alongside other neighbors. Another resident had already called police, who arrived by 7 a.m., she said.

Advertisement

Several prominent Russians have been killed by explosive devices or shot dead in Moscow inattacksblamed on the Ukrainian security services since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Russian strikes continue

Friday's shooting in Moscow comes one day after Russian, Ukrainian and US negotiators met for trilateral talks in the United Arab Emirates, where the Russian delegation was led by their military intelligence chief Kostyukov.

The Kremlin on Friday described the trilateral talks as "both constructive and challenging."

Ukraine's negotiation team also said the talks were "truly constructive" in a comment to news agency RBC-Ukraine, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said they'd "agreed that the next meeting will be held in the near future."

But beyond a prisoner swap that took place on Thursday, which saw 314 POWs exchanged, no major breakthroughs were announced by either side.

Despite the diplomatic engagement, Russia's attacks on Ukraine have continued this week.

At least three Ukrainian people were killed and 15 people injured in Russian attacks within the last day, Ukrainian authorities said on Friday. Russia launched two ballistic missiles, five cruise missiles and hundreds of drones overnight into Friday, hitting the Ukrainian regions of Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Kharkiv.

In Zaporizhzhia, a Russian attack on Friday heavily damaged an animal shelter, according to the city council, which released video showing several animals injured or killed.

Throughout the winter – the coldest one Ukraine has experienced in 20 years – Russia's military has also intensified itsassault on the country's energy sector.

In the capital Kyiv, where temperatures are below freezing on Friday, 1,100 high-rise residential buildings remain without power, according to local authorities. In the two districts of Kyiv that have been hit hard by attacks on energy infrastructure, about half the schools are operating without heat.

"The Kremlin is doubling down on war crimes, deliberately striking homes and civilian infrastructure," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Friday, as she announced the EU is tabling its 20th package of sanctions against Russia.

"This is not the conduct of a state seeking peace. It is the behaviour of a nation waging a war of attrition against a civilian innocent population," von der Leyen said.

This is story has been updated with developments.

CNN's Victoria Butenko and Svitlana Vlasova contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

Libya Gadhafi Son

Mourners carried his coffin in the town of Bani Walid, 146 kilometers (91 miles) southeast of the capital, Tripoli, as well as large photographs of both Seif al-Islam, who was known mostly by his first name, and his father.

The crowd also waved plain green flags, Libya's official flag from 1977 to 2011 under Gadhafi, who ruled the country for more than 40 years before being toppled in a NATO-backedpopular uprisingin 2011. Gadhafi was killed later that yearin his hometown of Sirteas fighting in Libya escalated into a full-blown civil war.

As the funeral procession got underway and the crowds swelled, a small group of supporters took Seif al-Islam's coffin away and later performed the funeral prayers and buried him.

Attackers at his home

Seif al-Islam, 53, was killed on Tuesday inside his home in the town of Zintan, 136 kilometers (85 miles) southwest of the capital, Tripoli, according to Libyan's chief prosecutor's office.

Authorities said an initial investigation found that he was shot to death but did not provide further details. Seif al-Islam's political team later released a statement saying "four masked men" had stormed his house and killed him in a "cowardly and treacherous assassination," after disabling security cameras.

Seif al-Islam was captured by fighters in Zintan late in 2011 while trying to flee to neighboring Niger. The fighters released him in June 2017, after one of Libya's rival governments granted him amnesty.

"The pain of loss weighs heavily on my heart, and it intensifies because I can't bid him farewell from within my homeland — a pain that words can't ease," Seif al-Islam's brother Mohamed Gadhafi, who lives in exile outside Libya though his current whereabouts are unknown, wrote on Facebook on Friday.

"But my solace lies in the fact that the loyal sons of the nation are fulfilling their duty and will give him a farewell befitting his stature," the brother wrote.

Advertisement

Since the uprising that toppled Gadhafi, Libya plunged into chaos during which the oil-rich North African country split, with rival administrations now in the east and west, backed by various armed groups and foreign governments.

Gadhafi's heir-apparent

Seif al-Islam was Gadhafi's second-born son and was seen as the reformist face of the Gadhafi regime — someone with diplomatic outreach who had worked to improve Libya's relations with Western countries up until the 2011 uprising.

The United Nations imposed sanctions on Seif al-Islam that included a travel ban and an assets freeze for his inflammatory public statements encouraging violence against anti-Gadhafi protesters during the 2011 uprising. The International Criminal Court later charged him with crimes against humanity related to the2011 uprising.

In July 2021, Seif al-Islam told the New York Times that he's considering returning to Libya's political scene after a decade of absence during which he observed Middle East politics and reportedly reorganized his father's political supporters.

He condemned the country's new leaders. "There's no life here. Go to the gas station — there's no diesel,″ Seif al-Islam told the Times.

In November 2021, he announced his candidacy in the country's presidential election in a controversial move that was met with outcry from anti-Gadhafi political forces in western and eastern Libya.

The country's High National Elections Committeedisqualified him, but the election wasn't held over disputes between rival administrations and armed groups.

Associated Press writer Fatma Khaled in Cairo contributed to this report.

Griffin residents were warned not todrink their wateron Jan. 30, and Governor Brian Kemp issued aState of Emergencyfor Spalding County to start cleanup efforts.

Kemp's executive order said there was a "significant release of fuel at or near" the airport.

How did the fuel spill from the airport?

The fuel leak occurred when a fuel pit hydrant attached to a fuel systempipeline burstnorth of Terminal T at Hartsfield-Jackson, the EPA told outlets.

The fuel entered theairport's storm water systemwhich flows to the Flint River, south of the airport. The Flint River is used as a primary water source for Spalding County.

According to the EPA, cleanup crews had removed 80% of the jet fuel from the river as of Wednesday, or about 8,300 gallons of the 10,000. They also collected 28,000 gallons of water that had come in contact with petroleum and some debris that had become contaminated.

Is the water in Griffin safe to use?

The water in Griffin wasdeemed safeto use the same day as the spill, later in the evening, but some residents believed the water still had an unpleasant smell.

Advertisement

Thursday night, a city official said that tests had been run on the water to ensure safety, and found there waspropylene glycol presentin the clear well. The official said when it mixes with chlorine and gets into the city's distribution system, it can smell like fuel. Propylene glycol, however, is safe to consume and is found in products used every day.

The city official said Thursday that every test run on the water supply since last Friday has come back negative for any fuel or fuel derivatives in the water. The test results will be madepublicly availableon the city's website.

Previous spills in Flint River

The headwaters of the Flint River, which flows south all the way to Florida, begin from seepage around the area of the Atlanta airport, meaning any contaminants from that area can reach the river more easily.

There have been multiple incidents ofcontamination of the riverfrom the area of the airport, including a fuel spill in September 2021 that dumped 1,300 gallons into the river, according to the Southern Conservation Trust.

Other than the airport, the surrounding area has high industrial activity, posing a threat to the Flint River as a safe water source, the trust said.

Irene Wright is the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today's Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:EPA says 10,000 gallons of jet fuel spilled from Atlanta airport

Most players already had confirmed their plans to compete in the tournament that begins March 5, but Thursday's announcement revealed the Americans' complete arsenal of arms and deep collection of infielders to go with just four primary outfielders.

"We constructed this roster with one goal in mind: to bring home a WBC Championship for the U.S. fans," Team USA general manager Michael Hill said in a statement. "I would like to thank the Major League Clubs for trusting us with this incredible group of talented players."

"Building this team was never easy, but it was done with purpose and pride," Team USA manager Mark DeRosa added. "These players know what it means to wear USA across their chest, and we're ready to go to work and bring the World Baseball Classic trophy back home."

The U.S. has won only one WBC, in 2017. The Americans lost to Japan in the 2023 final -- the last time the tournament was played.

New York Yankees star Aaron Judge serves as the team's captain and will be joined in the outfield by veteran Byron Buxton and up-and-comers Corbin Carroll and Pete Crow-Armstrong.

The 37-year-old Kershaw, who retired from his legendary MLB career after the Dodgers' World Series title, previously had said he would pitch in this WBC. It's not clear to what extent he will be used.

The Americans don't have to worry about starting pitching. American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal and National League Cy Young winner Paul Skenes will anchor the rotation.

The United States opens pool play against Brazil on March 6 in Houston before facing Mexico on March 9 and Italy on March 10. The championship game will be played March 17 in Miami. Here's the team's 30-man roster:

Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners

Will Smith, Los Angeles Dodgers

Infielders/utility

Alex Bregman, 3B, Boston Red Sox

Ernie Clement, UTIL, Toronto Blue Jays

Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, free agent

Bryce Harper, 1B, Philadelphia Phillies

Gunnar Henderson, SS, Baltimore Orioles

Brice Turang, 2B, Milwaukee Brewers

Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Kansas City Royals

Outfielders

Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins

Advertisement

Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks

Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs

Aaron Judge, New York Yankees

Designated hitter

Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies

David Bednar, RHP, New York Yankees

Matthew Boyd, LHP, Chicago Cubs

Garrett Cleavinger, LHP, Tampa Bay Rays

Clay Holmes, RHP, New York Mets

Griffin Jax, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays

Brad Keller, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies

Clayton Kershaw, LHP, retired

Nolan McLean, RHP, New York Mets

Mason Miller, RHP, San Diego Padres

Joe Ryan, RHP, Minnesota Twins

Paul Skenes, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates

Tarik Skubal, LHP, Detroit Tigers

Gabe Speier, LHP, Seattle Mariners

Michael Wacha, RHP, Kansas City Royals

Logan Webb, RHP, San Francisco Giants

Garrett Whitlock, RHP, Boston Red Sox

--Field Level Media

But Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald were the definitions of first-ballot Hall of Famers.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2026 was announced Thursday night during the NFL Honors show. The class included one of the best quarterbacks and one of the best wide receivers in league history:

QB Drew Brees

Brees checked every box to be on a short list of greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.

Brees made 13 Pro Bowls, he's second to Tom Brady in many career passing lists, including most yards (80,358) and passing touchdowns (571). He led the NFL in passing seven times, and had five 5,000-yard seasons and another 4,952-yard season. Brees led the NFL in completion percentage six times. He also helped the Saints to their only Super Bowl title at the end of the 2009 season.

"What an elite club we're part of," Brees said shortly after the Hall of Fame class was announced. "Still pretty surreal, I'd say."

Advertisement

WR Larry Fitzgerald

Fitzgerald was the third pick of the 2004 NFL Draft and over the next 17 seasons, he was everything the Arizona Cardinals could ask for.

Fitzgerald was an 11-time Pro Bowler, finished second all-time to Jerry Rice with 1,432 receptions and 17,492 yards and sixth with 121 receiving touchdowns. He was also the Walter Payton Man of the Year winner in 2016. Fitzgerald was the total package at receiver, but was legendary for his excellent hands. Fitzgerald rarely had a drop in his 272 career games, including playoffs. That included a trip to and memorable touchdown in Super Bowl XLIII.

LB Luke Kuechly

The only argument against Kuechly was his longevity as concussions cut his career short. Over his eight seasons with the Carolina Panthers, he was among the best defensive players in football. He was first-team All-Pro five times, won Defensive Rookie of the Year and in his second season he was Defensive Player of the Year. His all-around ability at linebacker made him one of the best players of his era.

"The reason we're here is we had great teams, great teammates and great coaches who highlighted what we did really well," Kuechly said after the announcement.

K Adam Vinatieri

Vinatieri had some of the most memorable kicks in NFL history, including two walk-off field goals to win Super Bowls, and now he's the rare kicker in the Hall of Fame.

Vinatieri, who set records for field goals made and attempted and points scored, with 2,673 over his 24 seasons with the Patriots and Colts, was voted into the Hall of Fame. He joins Jan Stenerud and Morten Andersen as the only primary placekickers in the Hall.

RB Roger Craig

Craig was ahead of his time as a dual-threat running back. He was the first to have 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in a season, doing so for the 1985 San Francisco 49ers. That came a year after Craig helped the 49ers win Super Bowl XIX. He scored three touchdowns in that game. Craig played 11 seasons, eight with the 49ers, one with the Raiders and his final two with the Vikings. Craig was one of three seniors finalists for the Hall of Fame this season.

TheLos Angeles Ramsquarterback was named NFL MVP at the Feb. 5 NFL Honors ceremony. He beat out New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye by a single first-place vote.

Stafford was awarded league MVP after he capped off one of the best seasons of his career. The 37-year-old quarterback led the NFL and broke a Rams franchise record with a career-high 46 touchdown passes to just eight interceptions. Additionally, Stafford's 4,707 passing yards paced the NFL.

His 46 touchdowns are the second-most thrown in a single season by an NFL quarterback age 37 or older. He became the third player in NFL history with at least 45 touchdown passes and fewer than 10 interceptions in a season, according to NFL Research.

"He is the MVP. There's no ifs ands or buts about it," Rams running back Blake Corum toldUSA TODAY Sports in a recent interview. "The season he's had is ridiculous. The career he's had is just tremendous."

The regular-season MVP award is the first of Stafford's career. It's the most prestigious honor Stafford's received this year. He was also named a2025 first-team All-Proand selected to the Pro Bowl.

Advertisement

Stafford's MVP adds to a resume that's worthy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Stafford helped the Rams win Super Bowl 56, he was the recipient of the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year award in 2011, he's a three-time Pro Bowler, a 2025 first-team All-Pro and now the 2025 NFL MVP.

Stafford was originally selected No. 1 overall in the 2009 NFL draft by theDetroit Lions. He's Detroit's all-time passing leader and holds the franchise record in passing touchdowns. Stafford was dealt to the Rams in a 2021 blockbuster trade with the Lions. Stafford quarterbacked the Rams to a Super Bowl title his first season in Los Angeles. His fifth year in L.A. is accompanied with an MVP.

"He's elevated everybody that he's around, but it's been really impressive," Rams coach Sean McVay said. "I wouldn't say I'm surprised though. This has been consistent for him over the five years that we've been together. I'm just grateful to be able to have the opportunity to be partnered up with him."

Follow USA TODAY Sports' Tyler Dragon on X@TheTylerDragon.

Super Bowl VII ring: The Miami Dolphins beat Washington, 14-7, on Jan. 14, 1973.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Super Bowl XVII ring: Washington defeated the Miami Dolphins, 27-17, on Jan. 30, 1983.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Super Bowl XVIII ring: The Los Angeles Raiders beat Washington, 38-9, on Jan. 22, 1984.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Super Bowl XXII ring: Washington defeated the Denver Broncos, 42-10, on Jan. 31, 1988.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Super Bowl XXVI ring: Washington beat the Buffalo Bills, 37-24, on Jan. 26, 1992.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Super Bowl rings through the years

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Matthew Stafford wins NFL MVP by one first-place vote