U.S. Charges 5 Men in Kremlin-Backed Assassination Plots Against Dissidents
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 16
U.S. Charges 5 Men in Kremlin-Backed Assassination Plots Against Dissidents
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 16
Summary
Five men were charged in Manhattan with conspiracy to finance terrorism, and three also face murder-for-hire conspiracy counts tied to alleged Kremlin-directed assassination plots.
The indictment says the network sought to kill Russian dissidents in the United States and abroad, including a prominent target believed to be in the Washington area.
Three defendants — Yuri Khrameev, 63, Kirill Khrameev, 27, and Oemis Romagoza Durruthy, 35 — were identified as Russian intelligence-linked operatives, while Yaidel Delgado Suarez allegedly recruited people in the U.S. for surveillance and murder.
None of the five defendants was in U.S. custody, and the Kremlin declined to comment substantively, saying it had not seen coherent evidence.
How did a Cuban national become the mastermind behind a Russian intelligence assassination ring operating across Europe and the US?
With bounties as low as $25,000, how many other undetected hitmen are currently tracking dissidents on American soil?
Are the recent string of mysterious warehouse fires in Europe actually the work of Russian-funded proxy saboteurs?
The 2026 Manhattan Indictment: Inside Russia’s State-Backed Global Sabotage and Murder-for-Hire Network
Overview
The September 16, 2026 indictment revealed a Russian Intelligence Services (RIS) Network that orchestrated global assassination and sabotage plots using criminal proxies. In the U.S., Cuban and Venezuelan operatives recruited a Brooklyn resident to surveil a Russian dissident, escalating to a $40,000 murder offer, which was refused—prompting the network to seek other recruits. Similar tactics appeared in Europe, where failed assassination attempts led to proposals for industrial sabotage. The FBI’s investigation exposed these operations, leading to diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and Russia, while highlighting the growing threat of hybrid warfare and the urgent need for international security reforms.