US Exposes Russian Spy Network Plotting Killings

US authorities have exposed an alleged Russian intelligence network that recruited operatives to assassinate Kremlin critics in the US and Europe, attacking infrastructure in countries supporting Ukraine. According to a US Justice Department indictment unsealed on Tuesday, Sept. 15, five suspects allegedly worked for Russian intelligence services to finance terrorism and organize contract killings around the world.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Prosecutors said the network had operated since at least 2024, targeting Russian dissidents and defectors as well as countries considered allies of Ukraine. “These defendants allegedly operated as part of a global assassination network that reached into the US, attempting to recruit US citizens and foreigners to carry out killings at the behest of the Kremlin,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg said. The five defendants remain at large. The indictment constitutes allegations as they are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Network allegedly offered $40,000 for US killing During the summer of 2026, the network allegedly recruited a Venezuelan citizen living in the US to conduct surveillance on a prominent Russian dissident believed to be in the Washington, D.C. area. The recruit was initially promised between $1,000 and $1,500 to photograph and film two locations associated with the intended victim. Prosecutors said the network later offered the recruit $40,000 to “eliminate” or “disappear” the dissident. When the recruit refused to personally carry out the killing, alleged network members asked whether he knew “someone [who] can do the work.” Other Topics of Interest 4 Years Since the Discovery of the Izyum Mass Graves Four years after Ukrainian forces uncovered the Izyum mass graves, prosecutors have identified 15 suspects in the killings, while international efforts to document the atrocities continue despite the loss of U.S. funding for a key Yale-led research projec One suspect also claimed that the network had “people in Mexico” who could conduct the assassination. The group allegedly approached several other people in the US about conducting surveillance and killing the same dissident and other possible targets. “The Russian-led network charged in today’s indictment is brazen, aggressive, and far-reaching,” US Attorney Jamie McDonald said, adding that law enforcement had “neutralized this deadly and outrageous threat.” Russian dissident targeted in Lithuania The network also allegedly attempted to recruit a US citizen in 2025 to surveil and kill a Russian dissident living in Lithuania. After paying $200 for surveillance, former Russian intelligence colonel Yuri Khrameev allegedly offered the recruit approximately $25,000 to murder the dissident for “telling lies about Russia” and “distorting history.” Prosecutors said Khrameev proposed killing the victim with a knife or a gasoline bomb. When the recruit refused, Khrameev allegedly offered a “simpler job” involving setting fire to a warehouse or attacking an electrical substation. He reportedly said the objective was to target “all the countries that are helping Ukraine” and promised “serious money for serious work.” Five suspects linked to Russian intelligence The indictment identifies the alleged senior members of the network as: Yuri Khrameev, 63, a former colonel in the Russian intelligence services; Kirill Khrameev, 27, son of Yuri, and an officer of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB); Oemis Romagoza Durruthy, 35, a Cuban national living in Russia who allegedly coordinated attacks and logistics. Two alleged recruiters were identified as Cuban national Yaidel Delgado Suarez, 35, also known as “Viking,” and Venezuelan national Angel Eduardo Castro, 22. The Justice Department said Durruthy helped coordinate operations in Prague in June 2024 and Lithuania in September 2024, including arranging travel and sending potential attack locations to other participants. All five suspects face conspiracy charges related to financing terrorism, carrying a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. Yuri Khrameev, Suarez, and Castro are also charged with conspiracy to commit murder for hire, punishable by up to 10 years. Wider Russian campaign in Europe The charges follow a series of investigations into suspected Russian operations targeting critics, infrastructure, and Ukraine’s allies abroad. In April, Ukrainian prosecutors reported uncovering a separate network linked to Russian security services that was allegedly preparing contract killings, sabotage, and provocations across several European Union countries. German authorities also recently concluded that Russia was responsible for an attempted explosive drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport, prompting Berlin to announce diplomatic and sanctions measures. Yuliia Zavadska is a news writer at Kyiv Post. She has experience in breaking news coverage, fact-checking, and digital journalism, with a focus on fast, accurate reporting and clear storytelling. Before joining Kyiv Post, she worked as a news feed editor for several leading Ukrainian media outlets.