FBI exposes Russian RIS Network planning assassinations in U.S. and Europe

The U.S. Department of Justice has issued an indictment in a Manhattan federal court regarding a global assassination network operating on behalf of Russian intelligence. The investigation, led by the FBI, identified an operational structure known as the ‘RIS Network’ that has been active since at least 2024.

According to officials, the network has shifted its focus from targeting Russian dissidents and defectors to targeting individuals and infrastructure in nations perceived as allies of Ukraine. The indictment alleges that the network has paid or attempted to pay individuals in the United States and Europe to conduct pre-operational surveillance on targets intended for assassination. Additionally, the group has reportedly tasked accomplices with planning or attempting terrorist attacks against both civilian and military infrastructure.

Five individuals are currently wanted for their roles in these operations. High-level members of the RIS Network identified include Yuri Khrameev, Kirill Khrameev, and Oemis Romagoza Durruthy. Other indicted individuals, Yaidel Delgado Suarez and Angel Eduardo Castro, are accused of recruiting residents within the United States to surveil and attempt the assassination of a prominent Russian dissident.