U.S. charge five in alleged Russian intelligence network targeting dissidents and Ukraine allies

U.S. authorities have charged five individuals they say formed part of a Russian intelligence services network that conspired to finance terrorism and pursue violence against critics of Moscow and countries supporting Ukraine. The indictment, unsealed in the Southern District of New York on 15 September, accuses the group of operating since at least 2024. All five defendants remain at large.

Members of Russian intelligence services network charged with conspiring to finance terrorism and commit murder for hire in the United States: “We will not tolerate efforts to finance terrorist activities and engage in acts of violence—particularly when these activities are…
— US Attorney SDNY (@SDNYnews) September 15, 2026

The defendants are:

Yuri Khrameev, 63, of Russia, also known as “Colonel Yuri.” Prosecutors describe him as a former colonel in the Russian intelligence services and a high-ranking member of the network. He is accused of recruiting people to target perceived Russian dissidents.

Kirill Khrameev, 27, of Russia, an officer in Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) and Yuri Khrameev’s son. He is also listed as a high-ranking member of the network.

Oemis Romagoza Durruthy, 35, a Cuban national living in Russia. Prosecutors call him a high-ranking member who coordinated attacks and logistics, including operations in Prague and Lithuania. Previous reporting identified him as a Latin dance instructor in Petrozavodsk who used online aliases to recruit others.

Investigation: Cuban dance instructor recruits random people to carry out acts of terror in Europe

Yaidel Delgado Suarez, 35, of Cuba, also known as “Viking.” He is described as a prolific recruiter who sought people inside the United States.

Angel Eduardo Castro, 22, of Venezuela. He is accused of working with Suarez to recruit U.S.-based individuals for surveillance and a planned killing of a prominent Russian dissident believed to be in the Washington, D.C., area.

All five face a charge of conspiracy to finance terrorism, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Yuri Khrameev, Suarez, and Castro also face a charge of conspiracy to commit murder for hire, which carries a maximum of 10 years.

Prosecutors say the network paid or tried to pay people in the United States and elsewhere to conduct surveillance and carry out targeted killings of Russian dissidents. It also allegedly directed associates to attack civilian and military infrastructure in European countries seen as aligned with Ukraine. One plot involved recruiting a U.S. resident this summer to gather information on a dissident in the United States. Another effort sought a U.S. citizen to target an individual in Lithuania described as spreading false information about Russia.

Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Justice Department’s role is to stop adversaries from directing violence onto American soil. U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald of the Southern District of New York stated that authorities will not tolerate such activities when they are commissioned by state actors and reach U.S. territory. FBI officials described the case as part of a response to transnational repression.

The charges follow earlier European investigations into related incidents in 2024. Russia has not issued a public response to the U.S. indictment.

Caption: US Attorney General Todd Blanche delivers remarks during a press conference in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 15 September 2026. EPA/SHAWN THEW