US Charges Alleged Russian Assassination Network

The US Department of Justice has accused five men allegedly linked to Russia’s intelligence services of conspiring to finance terrorism and target people considered aligned with Ukraine in the United States and Europe. The defendants include Russian nationals Yuri Khrameev, a former intelligence colonel, and his son Kirill Khrameev, an officer in Russia’s Federal Security Service; Oemis Romagoza Durruthy, a Cuban national living in Russia; and Yaidel Delgado Suarez and Angel Eduardo Castro. All five remain at large, and it is unclear whether they are in the US or elsewhere. According to prosecutors, members of the alleged Russian Intelligence Services network recruited people in the US to surveil and murder a prominent Russian dissident. One recruit was offered between $1,000 and $1,500 for surveillance and an additional $40,000 to kill the target, but did not proceed. Prosecutors say further recruitment attempts followed. The DoJ also alleges that Kirill Khrameev recruited a US citizen in 2025 to surveil and murder someone in Lithuania who was accused of spreading false information about Russia. His father allegedly offered $25,000 for the killing. Three defendants face additional charges related to conspiracy to commit murder for hire. The terrorism-conspiracy charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years, while the murder-for-hire charge carries up to 10 years. Russia has declined to comment substantively without what it considers credible evidence. The allegations come amid previous claims of Russian-backed plots against perceived opponents, including an alleged plan to kill a US-based Ukrainian citizen in Poland and a reported plot against Rheinmetall chief Armin Papperger in Germany. They also emerge as Moscow-Washington relations have recently warmed following Donald Trump’s return to the White House and a meeting between CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Russian intelligence officials.

The Justice Department has unsealed an indictment accusing five alleged members of a Russian intelligence-linked group called the “RIS Network” of operating a global assassination and sabotage network targeting Kremlin critics and pro-Ukrainian interests. The defendants include former Russian intelligence colonel Yuri Khrameev, his son Kirill, two Cuban nationals and one Venezuelan national. All are believed to be living in Russia and remain at large. According to prosecutors, the network attempted to arrange the killing of a Russian dissident believed to live near Washington, D.C. In July and August, the Venezuelan and one Cuban operative allegedly recruited a Brooklyn resident to photograph locations connected to the dissident, offering $1,000 to $1,500 for the surveillance and an additional $40,000 to kill or make the target disappear. The Brooklyn resident reportedly declined to participate in the killing and was asked to find someone else. The indictment also alleges that Yuri and Kirill Khrameev recruited a U.S. citizen in Lithuania to surveil and kill someone accused of criticizing Russia. After the citizen refused the proposed $25,000 killing, Yuri Khrameev allegedly offered payment for setting fire to a warehouse or electrical substation. The network is also accused of facilitating failed 2024 arson attacks targeting buses in the Czech Republic and a Lithuanian facility supplying radio equipment to Ukraine. All five defendants face terrorism-finance conspiracy charges, while three face murder-for-hire conspiracy charges. U.S. officials described the alleged operations as a threat to national security and U.S. sovereignty. The article places the allegations within a broader history of suspected Russian attacks on dissidents, as well as growing NATO concerns about Russian sabotage in Europe. It also notes similar alleged efforts by Iran and China to harass dissidents in the United States.

The US Department of Justice has unsealed charges against five men accused of working with Russian intelligence to conduct surveillance and organize targeted killings in the United States and Europe. The defendants are Russian nationals Yuri Khrameev, 63, and his son Kirill Khrameev, 27; Cuban nationals Oemis Romagoza Durruthy and Yaidel Delgado Suarez, both 35; and Venezuelan national Angel Eduardo Castro, 22. All five remain at large. The DOJ charged all five with conspiracy to commit financial terrorism. Yuri Khrameev, Suarez, and Castro also face charges of conspiracy to commit murder for hire. Prosecutors allege that the men were recruited to carry out attacks and assassinations internationally, including in the United States. The charges were unsealed one day after DW published an investigation into Romagoza Durruthy. According to that investigation, Durruthy worked as a salsa teacher in Russia and recruited Spanish-speaking operatives in 2024 to conduct sabotage across Europe. The recruits allegedly carried out arson attacks against businesses and military equipment intended for Ukraine, while Durruthy directed the operations and organized their travel. Attorney General Todd Blanche said the alleged plans included an attempt to assassinate a Russian dissident in Washington, DC. The DOJ also said recruits in the United States were asked to surveil Russian dissidents and monitor civilian and military infrastructure in European countries, including Lithuania. One recruit was allegedly offered $40,000 to “eliminate” or “disappear” a US resident, while another was allegedly offered $25,000 to kill someone living in Lithuania. Russia has previously denied involvement in similar plots abroad, including in the United States. The Russian Embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The US Department of Justice has announced charges against five alleged Russian intelligence agents accused of operating an international network to recruit people for attacks and assassinations ordered by the Kremlin. The suspects, who remain at large, allegedly began operating the network in at least 2024 and targeted individuals and infrastructure in the United States and Europe. The group’s most recent alleged operation involved an attempt to assassinate a prominent Russian dissident believed to be living in the United States. The Justice Department did not identify the target. Prosecutors said the plot collapsed when a person recruited to conduct surveillance refused to carry out the killing, despite being offered $40,000. The statement also described a failed 2025 murder plot in Lithuania against a person accused by the suspects of “telling lies about Russia.” The three principal suspects were identified as Yuri Khrameev, a 63-year-old former Russian intelligence colonel; his 27-year-old son, Kirill Khrameev; and Oemis Romagoza Durruthy, a 35-year-old Cuban national. Yaidel Delgado Suarez, also from Cuba, and Angel Eduardo Castro of Venezuela allegedly acted as recruiting agents in the United States. US Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg said the suspects were part of a global assassination network that extended into the United States and sought to recruit both American citizens and foreign nationals. The Justice Department also cited alleged plans to attack civilian and military infrastructure in European countries supporting Ukraine. Attorney General Todd Blanche said US authorities were seeking to prevent adversaries from carrying out violence and terrorism on American soil. The article does not report any arrests, and all allegations remain accusations because the suspects have not been taken into custody.

The US Department of Justice has charged five people over alleged Russian intelligence-backed plots involving surveillance, recruitment and targeted killings in the United States and other countries. The indictment, unsealed on Sept 15, says the suspects worked for Russian intelligence services to conduct attacks and murders around the world. All five individuals were reportedly still at large when the charges were announced. The defendants are Russian national Yuri Khrameev, 63, and his son, Kirill Khrameev, 27; Cuban nationals Oemis Romagoza Durruthy, 35, and Yaidel Delgado Suarez, 35; and Venezuelan national Angel Eduardo Castro, 22. They were charged with an alleged conspiracy to finance terrorism. Yuri Khrameev, Suarez and Castro also face charges of conspiracy to commit murder for hire. Attorney-General Todd Blanche said the alleged plots included attempts to murder a Russian dissident believed to be living in the Washington, D.C., area. According to the Justice Department, the network recruited several people in the United States to conduct surveillance on Russian dissidents, including one in the US and another in Lithuania. One US recruit was allegedly offered US$40,000 to eliminate or disappear a person residing in the United States. In 2025, another recruit was allegedly offered US$25,000 to kill someone living in Lithuania. The allegations involve international coordination, recruitment and payments for targeted violence. The Russian embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Russia has previously denied carrying out similar plots on foreign soil, including in the United States. The charges are allegations, and the defendants had not been reported to be in custody.