The FBI says it has disrupted an alleged Russian intelligence operation accused of plotting targeted killings inside the United States, including a plan to assassinate a prominent Russian dissident believed to be living in Washington, D.C.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on September 15, 2026, that five individuals had been charged over what prosecutors describe as a Russian intelligence services network operating internationally. All five defendants are believed to be outside the United States and remain at large.
According to the unsealed federal indictment, the alleged network had been operating since at least 2024 and sought to recruit people inside the United States to conduct surveillance and carry out killings.
In one alleged plot, a U.S.-based individual was recruited to monitor locations connected to a Russian dissident. Prosecutors say the person provided photographs and videos after conducting surveillance but later rejected an offer of up to $40,000 to kill or make the intended target “disappear.” Authorities allege the network subsequently attempted to recruit other people to complete the killing.
Federal authorities also accuse members of the network of supporting attempted attacks against civilian and military infrastructure in European countries viewed as supporting Ukraine.
RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE ALLEGEDLY PLOTTED TO MURDER A DISSIDENT ON U.S. SOIL.
Foreign governments will not be allowed to silence critics, violate our laws, or threaten the freedoms of people in America.
The FBI will defend free speech and confront transnational repression wherever… pic.twitter.com/dbDrjfv4hH
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) September 16, 2026
The five defendants include Russian nationals Yuri Khrameev and Kirill Khrameev, Cuban nationals Oemis Romagoza Durruthy and Yaidel Delgado Suarez, and Venezuelan national Angel Eduardo Castro. All five face a charge of conspiracy to finance terrorism, while several also face conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire charges.
FBI officials said multiple field offices and partner agencies worked together to disrupt the alleged operation before the planned violence could be carried out.
The Kremlin has pushed back against the allegations, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying credible evidence would be needed to support the claims.
The Justice Department stressed that the charges are allegations and that the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
