The FBI has thwarted a plot to assassinate a prominent Russian dissident believed to be living in Washington D.C., according to an indictment unsealed Tuesday in Manhattan federal court. The agency also issued a warning that Russia is plotting targeted assassinations across the U.S. and in European nations supporting Ukraine.
Five individuals, believed to be living abroad, have been charged in connection with the plot. An indictment alleges that a network tied to Russian intelligence services has been paying or attempting to pay individuals in the U.S. and other countries since 2024 to surveil and assassinate Russian dissidents. These associates have also been solicited to carry out acts of terrorism against civilian and military infrastructure in European countries perceived to be aligned with Ukraine.
James C. Barnacle Jr., head of the FBI's New York office, stated that the agency disrupted the plans through diligent work, as intelligence service members and their affiliates "conspired to intimidate, threaten, or murder people on U.S. soil and around the world." Darren B. Cox, head of the FBI's Washington D.C. office, credited "extraordinary work by multiple FBI field offices, components, and partner agencies" for moving quickly to disrupt the plot.
Among those charged are three high-ranking members of Russian intelligence services: Yuri Khrameev, a former colonel; his son, Kirill Khrameev, an officer in the Federal Security Service (FSB); and Oemis Romagoza Durruthy, a Cuban national living in Russia. The indictment states that the FSB is Russia's principal security agency and the successor to the KGB.
Yuri Khrameev, along with two other indicted individuals living in Russia, Yaidel Delgado Suarez and Angel Eduardo Castro, allegedly recruited a Venezuelan citizen residing in Brooklyn to conduct surveillance on and murder the dissident in Washington D.C. This individual was reportedly given explicit instructions for surveillance and offered $1,000 and $1,500 for the work. After conducting the surveillance and providing photographic and video evidence, the U.S. resident turned down a $40,000 offer to "eliminate" or "disappear" the target. When the offer was refused, the intelligence service member allegedly approached other individuals within the U.S. with substantial financial incentives to complete the assassination.
Western officials have noted an increase in Moscow's targeting of European states in recent months, particularly as the conflict in Ukraine has seen a largely static front line. Countries bordering Russia, including Poland, Lithuania, and Romania, have reported various violations. Security expert Philip Ingram suggested that such attacks, which can include assassinations, the use of nerve agents like Novichok, or radiological weapons, are likely to become more common, citing tactics Russia has employed previously. Ingram also pointed to suspected sabotage in London warehouses, drone incidents at Leipzig Airport, and unexplained drone activity near military and critical infrastructure sites across Europe and over U.S. Air Force bases in the UK. Direct threats against executives of arms companies in Scandinavia and Germany, as well as against British companies supplying Ukraine, have also occurred, alongside an increase in cyberattacks. Ingram believes that Europe and its allies have not responded robustly enough to Russian actions and advocates for more aggressive measures, including greater sanctions and increased support for Ukraine.