RismadarVoice Reporters
September 16, 2026
The United States Department of Justice has charged five people over an alleged Russian intelligence-backed network accused of plotting to assassinate a prominent Russian dissident believed to be living in Washington, D.C.
The charges, unsealed on Tuesday, allege that the network recruited people in the United States and other countries to conduct surveillance, carry out targeted killings and attack civilian and military infrastructure in countries viewed as supporting Ukraine.
According to the indictment, the alleged network has operated since at least 2024 and is linked by prosecutors to Russia’s intelligence services. The FBI said it disrupted the alleged operation after identifying the threat.
The five defendants, who remain at large, are Russian nationals Yuri Khrameev, 63, and his son, Kirill Khrameev, 27; Cuban nationals Oemis Romagoza Durruthy and Yaidel Delgado Suarez, both 35; and Venezuelan national Angel Eduardo Castro, 22.
All five face charges of conspiring to finance terrorism, while Yuri Khrameev, Suarez and Castro are additionally charged with conspiracy to commit murder for hire.
Prosecutors allege that Yuri Khrameev is a former Russian intelligence colonel, while his son is an officer of Russia’s Federal Security Service, known as the FSB. Durruthy is accused of coordinating logistics for operations linked to the alleged network, while Suarez is described as a recruiter.
In the Washington case, prosecutors said a Venezuelan man living in the United States was recruited to photograph and record locations connected to the intended victim. He was allegedly paid between $1,000 and $1,500 for the surveillance.
The man later declined an offer of $40,000 to kill the dissident, according to the indictment. Prosecutors said the alleged recruiters then asked whether he could identify someone else willing to carry out the killing.
The indictment also details an earlier alleged operation involving a Russian dissident believed to be living in Lithuania. Prosecutors said a U.S. citizen was initially paid to photograph the person’s address and was later offered about $25,000 to kill him.
After the individual refused, prosecutors allege that Yuri Khrameev offered him alternative assignments, including attacks on infrastructure in countries supporting Ukraine.
The DOJ further accused Durruthy of coordinating logistics for alleged attacks in Prague in 2024 and Lithuania later that year.
The Kremlin rejected the allegations, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying Russia would not comment without what he described as credible evidence or tangible arguments.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg said the defendants were allegedly part of a network that extended into the United States and sought to recruit people to carry out killings on behalf of Russian intelligence.
The DOJ stressed that the charges contained in the indictment are allegations and that all five defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
