Federal authorities announced Tuesday that they have thwarted a plot by Russian intelligence services to assassinate a prominent Russian dissident believed to be living in Washington, D.C. The indictment, unsealed in Manhattan federal court, also revealed that a network of Russian intelligence operatives has been attempting to recruit individuals in the U.S. and other countries to carry out targeted killings and acts of terrorism.
Five individuals, believed to be living abroad, have been charged in connection with the plot. According to the indictment, Russian intelligence services have been paying and attempting to pay individuals in the United States and abroad since at least 2024 to surveil and assassinate Russian dissidents.
The indictment further states that the network has also solicited individuals to conduct attacks targeting civilian and military infrastructure in European nations perceived as allies of Ukraine. This expansion of targets follows Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
James C. Barnacle Jr., the head of the FBI's New York office, stated that the agency disrupted the plans through "relentless work," preventing Russian intelligence services and their affiliates from intimidating, threatening, or murdering individuals on U.S. soil and globally. 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 the swift disruption of the plot.
US Attorney Jamie McDonald noted that the charged individuals "conspired to cause destruction and mayhem around the world, including right here in the United States."
Among those indicted 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 residing in Russia. The FSB is Russia's primary security agency and the successor to the KGB.
The indictment detailed how Yuri Khrameev and two other charged individuals, Yaidel Delgado Suarez and Angel Eduardo Castro, both residing in Russia, recruited a Venezuelan citizen living in Brooklyn. This individual was tasked with surveilling and assassinating a prominent Russian dissident believed to be in Washington, D.C.
The recruited individual was reportedly provided with detailed instructions for surveillance and offered payment, with initial offers of $1,000 and $1,500 for the surveillance work. After completing the surveillance and providing photographic and video evidence, the individual was offered $40,000 to "eliminate" the target. However, the US resident declined the offer.
Following this rejection, members of the Russian intelligence services reportedly approached multiple other individuals within the United States with substantial financial offers to carry out the assassination, according to the indictment. These actions highlight a persistent effort by Russian intelligence to target dissidents and perceived adversaries abroad.