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U.S. charges five in alleged Russian intelligence assassination plots FAST-MOVING
The U.S. Department of Justice has unsealed an indictment charging five individuals for their alleged involvement in a global assassination and surveillance network operated by Russian intelligence services. The group, which includes Russian national Yuri Khrameev, his son Kirill, and three others from Cuba and Venezuela, is accused of conspiring to finance terrorism and commit murder-for-hire.
Federal authorities, including the FBI, claim the network has been active since at least 2024, targeting Russian dissidents and defectors. The indictment details a plot to assassinate a prominent dissident believed to be living in the Washington, D.C. area. In one instance, a recruit in Brooklyn was allegedly offered $40,000 to make a target ‘disappear’ after initially being paid smaller sums for surveillance work.
Beyond targeted killings, the network is accused of soliciting acts of terrorism against civilian and military infrastructure in European nations that support Ukraine. All five defendants are believed to be living abroad and remain at large.
Entities
Darren Cox · FBI · James C. Barnacle, Jr. · Kirill Khrameev · Russia · Russian intelligence services · U.S. Department of Justice · United States · Yuri Khrameev
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 21 SOURCES] Operatives allegedly offered $40,000 to eliminate a target in the United States. offthepress.com · www.stiripesurse.ro · www.zdg.md · bahamasspectator.com · haitigazette.com · +16 more
- [● 22 SOURCES] The network solicited acts of terrorism against civilian and military infrastructure in European countries supporting Ukraine. vinnews.com · www.zerozeronews.it · www.lastampa.it · www.repubblica.it · www.winnipegfreepress.com · +17 more
- [● 21 SOURCES] The network attempted to recruit individuals in the U.S. to surveil a dissident in Lithuania. www.stiripesurse.ro · www.zdg.md · bahamasspectator.com · haitigazette.com · newsprima.it · +16 more
- [● 25 SOURCES] Five individuals believed to be living in Russia have been charged in connection with the plot. offthepress.com · vinnews.com · www.zerozeronews.it · www.lastampa.it · www.repubblica.it · +20 more
- [● 23 SOURCES] The plot included a plan to kill a Russian dissident in the Washington, D. C. area. offthepress.com · www.stiripesurse.ro · www.newindianexpress.com · www.newsday.com · www.zdg.md · +18 more
- [● 22 SOURCES] Yuri Khrameev, Kirill Khrameev, Oemis Romagoz Durruthy, Yaidel Delgado Suarez, and Angel Eduardo Castro are among those charged. www.stiripesurse.ro · www.repubblica.it · offthepress.com · adevarul.ro · www.zdg.md · +17 more
- [● 25 SOURCES] The DOJ accuses Russian intelligence of running a global assassination network targeting Kremlin critics. offthepress.com · vinnews.com · www.zerozeronews.it · www.lastampa.it · www.repubblica.it · +20 more
- [● 22 SOURCES] The network has been active in conducting attacks and murders globally since at least 2024. vinnews.com · www.newindianexpress.com · www.newsday.com · www.theguardian.com · offthepress.com · +17 more