American prosecutors have exposed an alleged global network of Russian intelligence services, whose members are accused of preparing assassinations and acts of sabotage in the United States and Europe. The U.S. Department of Justice has charged five people who remain at large, Bloomberg reports, writes UNN.
Details
According to the case materials, a former Russian serviceman known as "Colonel Yuri" offered a U.S. citizen $25,000 to track down and kill a person in Vilnius who had allegedly been "lying about Russia."
After he refused, he offered the American to carry out acts of sabotage against the infrastructure of NATO countries supporting Ukraine. Potential targets included railway stations, bus depots, power substations, and warehouses storing aid for Ukraine.
U.S. officials announce a "global assassination network"
These defendants allegedly acted as part of a global assassination network that reached the United States, attempting to recruit U.S. citizens and foreigners to carry out killings on the orders of the Kremlin
According to investigators, Russian intelligence services also attempted to organize the assassination of a prominent Russian dissident who is believed to live in Washington. A Venezuelan citizen residing in New York was recruited to surveil him. He was offered $40,000 for the target’s "disappearance."
Suspected of terrorist attacks in Europe: US indicts five Russians16.09.26, 11:58
Bloomberg notes that the indictment also describes a broader campaign of Russia’s hybrid operations against countries providing military and financial assistance to Ukraine. It involves recruiting people to carry out acts of sabotage against infrastructure and attacks on individuals for payment.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has not yet said whether it plans to take additional measures against Russia following the announcement of the new charges.