Intelligence Officials Report Surge in Extraterritorial Assassinations After Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, there has been a significant increase in extraterritorial assassination attempts targeting dissidents and Ukraine supporters. Western intelligence officials indicate that Russian security services are becoming more brazen in their targeting, utilizing 'cheap agents' to carry out missions, with 191 Russia-linked sabotage incidents reported in Europe.
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- 📰 Published: May 7, 2026 at 15:22
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Central News Agency
(Central News Agency, Paris, May 7, Comprehensive Foreign Report) Russia has long been accused of suppressing dissidents abroad, but three Western intelligence officials indicate that since the Russia-Ukraine war, such targeted assassination operations have significantly increased. The Associated Press (AP) statistics show that 191 incidents of sabotage, arson, and other disruptive acts in Europe in recent years have been identified as linked to Russia.
According to an AP report, Vladimir Osechkin, a Russian human rights activist living in France, calls the police for escort every time he takes his children to school or goes to the supermarket. He has been living under French police protection since 2022 because authorities believe Russia is trying to assassinate him.
According to non-public court documents obtained by the AP, a group of Russian men ambushed and waited for several hours near Osechkin's home in France in April 2025, taking photos and videos, allegedly in preparation for an assassination attempt. Osechkin said that a few years ago, a red dot even appeared on the wall of his home, which he believed was a laser sight from a gun.
Similar situations have occurred elsewhere in Europe. Lithuanian officials last year thwarted an assassination plot targeting a Ukraine supporter and another attack against a Russian dissident; Germany also uncovered two similar incidents, one targeting a German defense industry executive supplying weapons to Ukraine and another a Ukrainian military official.
Polish authorities arrested a man in 2024, accusing him of plotting to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy; in the same year, a defecting Russian helicopter pilot was killed in Spain, with Russian agents listed as prime suspects.
Although Russian officials have long been accused of suppressing dissidents abroad, three Western intelligence officials from different countries have stated that since Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, such targeted assassination operations have significantly increased.
These intelligence officials stated that Russian security services are now more brazen in their targeting, not only pursuing military defectors but also targeting Russian human rights activists and foreign nationals supporting Ukraine.
A former senior British counter-terrorism official and a Lithuanian prosecutor both believe that this wave of operations is related to Russia's intention to expand the destabilization of countries supporting Ukraine. According to AP statistics, since the Russia-Ukraine war, 191 incidents of deliberate sabotage, arson, and other disruptive acts in Europe have been identified by Western officials as linked to Russia.
According to French court documents, officials, and information provided by Lithuanian prosecutors, many defendants in this wave of operations were ordinary people recruited as 'cheap agents' by Russian intelligence personnel. Moscow is now using this model to deal with its perceived enemies abroad.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the AP that he saw 'no need' to comment on the matter. Russian officials have previously repeatedly denied that Moscow was behind overseas assassination plots. (Compiled by Chang Ming-hsuan) 1150507
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(Central News Agency, Paris, May 7, Comprehensive Foreign Report) Russia has long been accused of suppressing dissidents abroad, but three Western intelligence officials indicate that since the Russia-Ukraine war, such targeted assassination operations have significantly increased. The Associated Press (AP) statistics show that 191 incidents of sabotage, arson, and other disruptive acts in Europe in recent years have been identified as linked to Russia.
According to an AP report, Vladimir Osechkin, a Russian human rights activist living in France, calls the police for escort every time he takes his children to school or goes to the supermarket. He has been living under French police protection since 2022 because authorities believe Russia is trying to assassinate him.
According to non-public court documents obtained by the AP, a group of Russian men ambushed and waited for several hours near Osechkin's home in France in April 2025, taking photos and videos, allegedly in preparation for an assassination attempt. Osechkin said that a few years ago, a red dot even appeared on the wall of his home, which he believed was a laser sight from a gun.
Similar situations have occurred elsewhere in Europe. Lithuanian officials last year thwarted an assassination plot targeting a Ukraine supporter and another attack against a Russian dissident; Germany also uncovered two similar incidents, one targeting a German defense industry executive supplying weapons to Ukraine and another a Ukrainian military official.
Polish authorities arrested a man in 2024, accusing him of plotting to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy; in the same year, a defecting Russian helicopter pilot was killed in Spain, with Russian agents listed as prime suspects.
Although Russian officials have long been accused of suppressing dissidents abroad, three Western intelligence officials from different countries have stated that since Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, such targeted assassination operations have significantly increased.
These intelligence officials stated that Russian security services are now more brazen in their targeting, not only pursuing military defectors but also targeting Russian human rights activists and foreign nationals supporting Ukraine.
A former senior British counter-terrorism official and a Lithuanian prosecutor both believe that this wave of operations is related to Russia's intention to expand the destabilization of countries supporting Ukraine. According to AP statistics, since the Russia-Ukraine war, 191 incidents of deliberate sabotage, arson, and other disruptive acts in Europe have been identified by Western officials as linked to Russia.
According to French court documents, officials, and information provided by Lithuanian prosecutors, many defendants in this wave of operations were ordinary people recruited as 'cheap agents' by Russian intelligence personnel. Moscow is now using this model to deal with its perceived enemies abroad.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the AP that he saw 'no need' to comment on the matter. Russian officials have previously repeatedly denied that Moscow was behind overseas assassination plots. (Compiled by Chang Ming-hsuan) 1150507
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you provide is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency 'First-hand News' APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.