DOJ charges five in Russian intelligence plot to kill Ukraine allies and dissidents in US and Europe
A Manhattan indictment unsealed Tuesday names a former FSB colonel, his son, and three associates in a global assassination network that tried to recruit Americans to murder a Russian dissident for $40,000.
Federal prosecutors have charged five members of a Russian intelligence network with conspiring to finance terrorism and commit murder-for-hire on American soil and across Europe, unsealing an indictment in Manhattan federal court that lays out a cash-for-killing operation that this summer tried to recruit a US resident to murder a prominent Russian dissident for $40,000.
All five defendants remain at large. The Department of Justice announced the charges on Tuesday, describing the network as 'one arm' of the Russian Federation's apparatus for carrying out external attacks — including murder — that has historically targeted Russian dissidents and defectors but has most recently turned its focus toward nations perceived as allies of Ukraine.
These defendants allegedly operated as part of a global assassination network that reached into the United States, attempting to recruit U.S. citizens and foreigners to carry out killings at the behest of the Kremlin. Actions like these represent a gross violation of our sovereignty and a threat to our national security.— John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security
The indictment names three high-ranking members of what prosecutors call the RIS Network. Yuri Khrameev, 63, known as 'Colonel Yuri,' is described as a former colonel in Russian intelligence who recruited multiple individuals to commit murder against perceived Russian dissidents. His son, Kirill Khrameev, 27, is identified as an active officer in Russia's Federal Security Service, the FSB. The third senior figure, Oemis Romagoza Durruthy, 35, is a Cuban national described as an influential member of the Cuban diaspora living in Russia who coordinated attacks for the network.
Two additional defendants are charged as recruiters. Yaidel Delgado Suarez, 35, of Cuba — known as 'Viking' — is described as a prolific recruiter who attempted to bring multiple individuals in the United States into the network. Angel Eduardo Castro, 22, of Venezuela, allegedly worked alongside Suarez to recruit US-based individuals to surveil and attempt to murder the dissident identified in the indictment only as Victim-1.
The indictment details how the network's US recruitment operation worked in practice. This summer, the RIS Network recruited a person identified as US Resident-1 to conduct surveillance on the targeted dissident, believed to be living in the United States. That person was sent to two locations associated with the intended victim and given explicit instructions on how to conduct surveillance, according to the indictment. For that work, US Resident-1 was promised payments of $1,000 and $1,500.
After conducting the surveillance and handing over photographs and videos of locations associated with the target to one of the charged defendants, US Resident-1 turned down a $40,000 offer to 'eliminate' or 'disappear' the victim through murder. When that offer was rejected, the network member who made it then attempted to recruit multiple other people within the United States to carry out the killing, offering them substantial sums of money, the indictment states.
Beyond the assassination plots, the indictment alleges the network also commissioned associates to commit acts of terrorism against civilian and military infrastructure in European countries aligned with, or perceived to be aligned with, Ukraine.
As alleged in this indictment, members of the Russian Intelligence Services and their affiliates conspired to intimidate, threaten, or murder people on U.S. soil and around the world. The FBI disrupted this operation through relentless work and rock-solid partnership.— James C. Barnacle Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, FBI New York Field Office
When this threat was identified, the Washington Field Office and our partners moved quickly to disrupt the plot and hold the Russian government accountable for its actions. Our message is clear: any foreign intelligence service that attempts to direct violence inside the United States will face an unrelenting and coordinated response from the FBI and our partners to protect the homeland.— Darren B. Cox, Assistant Director in Charge, FBI Washington Field Office
The charges announced Tuesday are allegations; the defendants have not been convicted. With all five remaining at large, the practical effect of the indictment is as much a public warning — and a diplomatic signal — as it is an immediate law enforcement action. US Attorney Jamie McDonald for the Southern District of New York said the charges 'should send a clear message: no matter where you are, and no matter who you work for, we will investigate and prosecute you for your crimes.'
The indictment states the network has been operating since at least 2024. Prosecutors describe it as part of a broader Russian Federation apparatus for conducting attacks abroad, one that previously concentrated on Russian dissidents and defectors before expanding its targeting to Ukraine's perceived allies.
Why it matters — The case shows Russian intelligence actively recruiting people already inside the United States to carry out killings on American soil — a direct test of whether federal law enforcement can detect and disrupt state-sponsored assassination plots before they succeed.
⚠ Not yet confirmed
- The identity and current location of the Russian dissident targeted for murder (referred to only as Victim-1 in the indictment) has not been publicly disclosed.
- The identity of US Resident-1, who conducted surveillance but refused the murder offer, has not been publicly disclosed.
Reported by theguardian.com, justice.gov, moneycontrol.com
