The record
Written from the 1 report below. Nothing here is unsourced.
- US federal prosecutors have unsealed charges against five people allegedly working for Russia's intelligence services to carry out attacks and killings in Europe and the US.
- The indictment says an alleged Russian operative known as Colonel Yuri offered $25,000 to a US citizen to kill someone in Lithuania and also sought recruits to attack infrastructure in NATO countries.
- Prosecutors allege the network tried to recruit US-based individuals, including a Venezuelan citizen in Brooklyn, to surveil and kill a Russian dissident for $40,000.
- The charges follow similar cases in Europe, including Germany blaming Russia for an explosive drone at Leipzig-Halle airport and Poland thwarting an assassination plot.
- The case matters because the Trump administration has taken a conciliatory approach toward Russia and has not said whether the new charges will trigger action such as sanctions.
What to watch next
- Whether the Trump administration takes action against Russia, such as sanctions, over the new charges.
- Progress in tracking the five defendants, who remain at large.
- Whether European governments announce further measures linked to the alleged hybrid attack campaign.
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Named United States · Russia · Lithuania · Ukraine · Germany · Poland · Estonia · United Kingdom · Keir Starmer · Sergei Skripal · Department of Justice · Donald Trump · Donald Trump Jr. · John Eisenberg
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