Garry Kasparov Warned of Assassination Plot, Cites US and Lithuanian Officials

Former world chess champion and Kremlin critic Garry Kasparov stated Wednesday that security services in the United States and Lithuania had alerted him to an alleged plot against his life.

Kasparov's comments come after U.S. authorities announced last month that five individuals were charged in connection with alleged Russian intelligence plots aimed at assassinating two prominent opposition figures. One target was believed to be in the U.S., and the other in Lithuania. Recruits were allegedly paid to conduct surveillance on both individuals.

While unconfirmed media reports have suggested Kasparov, who resides in New York, may have been one of the intended targets, he wrote in a Substack post that he and Ivan Tyutrin, an opposition activist based in Lithuania, were not explicitly informed of their identities as targets. However, Kasparov stated that security services in both Lithuania and the U.S. had warned him and Tyutrin that their lives were in danger and advised them to take precautions.

Kasparov, 63, has been outspoken against Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russia has designated Kasparov as a “foreign agent” and added him to its lists of “terrorists and extremists.” He asserted in his statement, “I will not stop and I will not hide… I will continue to do everything I can to rally the free world against Putin’s murderous dictatorship.”

Last month, the Kremlin responded to the U.S. allegations by stating that it saw no reason to comment in the absence of what it termed credible evidence and facts. Russia has a history of denying involvement in alleged assassination plots on foreign soil, including within the United States.