Alleged Russian network plotted attacks on exiles; Kasparov reportedly warned and protected

Reports in several media outlets, citing a U.S. indictment and an investigation by Spanish newspaper El Mundo, say U.S. prosecutors have charged five men accused of working for Russian intelligence services on plots that included surveillance, recruitment, sabotage and targeted killings of Russian exiles. Lithuanian and U.S. security services are reported to have uncovered the network.

Alleged network composition and charges

According to reporting, the alleged network is led by Yuri Khrameev, described as a former Russian intelligence colonel. His son Kirill, identified as an FSB officer, is also accused of involvement. The five charged individuals include Cuban nationals Oemis Romagoza Durruthy and Yaidel Delgado Suarez and Venezuelan national Angel Eduardo Castro. U.S. prosecutors say the five recruited people to conduct surveillance and carry out targeted killings and sabotage.

All five are believed to be in Russia and remain at large. The indictment, unsealed by the U.S. Justice Department, accuses the men of working for Russian intelligence services, but the publicly available indictment does not identify the alleged targets by name.

Ponomarev declined to confirm whether he had been tipped off, but told reporters the allegations represent an escalation that erodes the sense that the United States is a safe haven for Russian exiles.

The allegations come amid a pattern of reported plots and attacks on critics of the Russian government abroad. Media accounts link the suspected organizers and operatives to long-standing Russian intelligence networks and to recruitment of foreign nationals to assist operations outside Russia. The unsealed U.S. indictment provides the legal basis for charges, while media outlets supply the names of potential targets and operational details that the indictment itself omits.

• U.S. prosecutors have charged five people over plots involving surveillance, recruitment and targeted killings tied to Russian intelligence services.
• Kasparov was reportedly warned this summer by U.S. and Lithuanian authorities and placed under protection.
• The accused individuals are believed to be in Russia and have not been arrested. Media reports name additional figures who may have been targeted.