A Russian intelligence network is behind plots to hire hitmen on U.S. soil

A Major Federal Indictment

The indictment, unsealed Tuesday in Manhattan federal court, accuses the defendants of working with a Russian intelligence services network prosecutors say conducted attacks and murders internationally, including inside America.

The defendants are Russian nationals Yuri Khrameev and his son Kirill Khrameev, Cuban nationals Oemis Romagoza Durruthy and Yaidel Delgado Suarez, and Venezuelan national Angel Eduardo Castro.

According to the Justice Department, all five face a conspiracy charge involving financing terrorism. Yuri Khrameev, Suarez and Castro additionally face conspiracy charges involving murder-for-hire.

Prosecutors say the defendants remain at large, meaning the allegations have not yet been tested through criminal trials and no defendant has been convicted in connection with these charges.

 

 

 

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The Alleged RIS Network

The case centers on what federal authorities call the RIS Network, which they allege has operated since at least 2024 and recruited people to conduct surveillance and attacks.

One alleged operation focused on a prominent Russian dissident believed by investigators to be living in Washington, D.C., according to prosecutors and the unsealed federal indictment.

Authorities allege a Venezuelan man living in Brooklyn was recruited to surveil locations associated with the dissident, receiving instructions and photographs before ultimately refusing an offer to kill the target.

The indictment says the recruit was initially promised payments for surveillance, then was offered as much as $40,000 to “eliminate” or “disappear” the intended victim.

After the recruit rejected the alleged murder assignment, prosecutors say members of the network approached other people in the United States with substantial financial offers to complete the operation.

Another Alleged Assassination Plot

The indictment describes another alleged scheme involving a Russian dissident in Lithuania. Prosecutors say Yuri Khrameev offered a U.S. citizen approximately $25,000 to kill that individual.

When the proposed killing was rejected, prosecutors allege Khrameev suggested alternative attacks, including arson against property or infrastructure in countries supporting Ukraine.

 

 

 

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Alleged Operations Across Europe

The Justice Department also alleges that network members coordinated activities outside the United States, including alleged operations in Czechia and Lithuania during 2024.

Prosecutors say those overseas activities involved travel arrangements, communications and potential attacks against civilian or military infrastructure in European countries viewed by the network as aligned with Ukraine.

Federal officials described the case as an example of an alleged Russian intelligence-linked network using recruited intermediaries rather than directly carrying out every operation itself.

Attorney General Todd Blanche said the indictment includes efforts to murder a Russian dissident believed to be in the Washington area, highlighting the alleged threat within U.S. territory.

How Authorities Built the Case

The case was investigated by the FBI’s New York Counterintelligence Division, with assistance from the FBI’s Washington field office, Homeland Security Investigations and Justice Department national-security prosecutors.

The investigation appears to have relied partly on cooperation from recruited individuals who allegedly conducted surveillance but declined to participate in planned killings, according to the indictment.

Russia has previously denied conducting assassination or other violent operations on foreign soil. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that Moscow would not comment without credible evidence and tangible facts.

What Happens Next?

The charges carry significant potential penalties if convictions occur. The terrorism-financing conspiracy count carries a maximum of 20 years, while the murder-for-hire conspiracy carries up to 10 years.

For now, the indictment establishes accusations rather than proven facts. The defendants are presumed innocent, and any eventual findings about responsibility will depend on evidence presented through the judicial process.

The case nevertheless places alleged Russian intelligence activity inside the United States at the center of a new federal prosecution, while investigators continue seeking answers about the network’s broader operations.