U.S. accuses Russian intelligence of plotting assassinations on American and European soil

Federal prosecutors charge five fugitives over an alleged network tasked with targeting dissidents, allies of Ukraine and critical infrastructure

U.S. federal authorities say Russian intelligence services — organizations responsible for covert operations and serious human rights violations — planned targeted assassinations in the United States and across parts of Europe considered supportive of Ukraine. The Justice Department announced charges against five fugitives, describing a clandestine network allegedly tasked with preparing attacks and killings.

According to a complaint unsealed in Manhattan federal court, the network allegedly paid — or attempted to pay — individuals in the United States and abroad to surveil designated targets who were later meant to be eliminated.

The group’s activities, prosecutors say, extended beyond assassination plots. Recruited operatives were allegedly encouraged to carry out acts of terrorism against civilian and military infrastructure in European countries aligned with Kyiv.

FBI: “We stopped the plans”

James Barnacle Jr., head of the New York office of the FBI, said investigators disrupted the operation after a lengthy probe. He described a scheme in which members of Russian intelligence and affiliated entities allegedly conspired to intimidate, threaten or kill individuals in the United States and elsewhere.

Darren Cox, who leads the FBI’s Washington field office, said multiple FBI divisions and partner agencies helped stop Russian attempts to organize violent acts in the U.S. capital and other regions.

A network active since 2024

Authorities say the network has been active since at least 2024, initially focusing on Russian dissidents and defectors. Over time, the group allegedly expanded its scope to include individuals and countries perceived as allies of Ukraine.

The complaint describes the network as an overseas “arm” of the Russian security apparatus, tasked with conducting foreign operations — including assassinations. U.S. officials also say the group attempted to recruit inside the United States.

One case cited in the filing involves a U.S. resident allegedly approached last summer to surveil — and ultimately kill — a prominent Russian dissident believed to be in the country.

A wider context: war and covert operations

The investigation comes as the war in Ukraine continues and Western security services monitor what they consider potential Russian clandestine activity beyond its borders.

In the same international context, Ukrainian media outlet Ukrinform reports that Russian forces struck a passenger train on the Kyiv–Mykolaiv line, citing the Ukrainian railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia.

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