US Charges Five in Kremlin-Linked Global Assassination Plot
The US Department of Justice charged five individuals for operating a Kremlin-linked assassination network targeting Russian dissidents including Garry Kasparov and Ivan Tyutrin.
The United States Department of Justice has charged five individuals for allegedly operating a global assassination network on behalf of Russian intelligence. The network, reportedly led by former Russian intelligence colonel Yuri Khrameev, is accused of recruiting operatives within the United States to surveil and kill dissidents and defectors, as well as conducting acts of sabotage.
Among the accused are Yuri Khrameev, his son Kirill Khrameev, and three nationals from Cuba and Venezuela. Prosecutors allege the group attempted to murder a prominent Russian dissident in the U.S. and another target in Lithuania. While the public indictment does not explicitly name the victims, reports indicate the targets included former world chess champion Garry Kasparov, former MP Ilya Ponomarev, politician Vladimir Kara-Murza, and activist Ivan Tyutrin.
Garry Kasparov and Tyutrin announced that security services in the U.S. and Lithuania warned them this summer that their lives were in danger. Kasparov was subsequently placed under enhanced protection. Tyutrin reported that Lithuanian authorities urged him to urgently leave his home and dispose of his car. The five defendants are believed to be in Russia and remain at large.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the charges, citing a lack of credible evidence. The U.S. government characterizes the operation as a significant expansion of Russian intelligence activities on American soil.
