Former world chess champion and exiled Russian opposition leader Garry Kasparov stated that he received warnings from both American and Lithuanian security services indicating his life was under threat. The revelation comes in the wake of an indictment unsealed earlier this month by the US Justice Department, which charges five individuals alleged to be working for the Kremlin with planning attacks and murders targeting Russian dissidents and defectors on American soil.
Kasparov disclosed on his Substack platform that he and Ivan Tyutrin, co-founder of the Free Russia Forum, were informed to take necessary safety precautions. While he noted that authorities did not explicitly identify them as specific targets, both men have since adopted enhanced security measures.
According to reports from the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, Kasparov was also warned over the summer regarding the alleged conspiracy. The publication cited sources close to the dissident, stating that Kasparov was placed under increased protection during that period, marking the first time such measures were implemented since his relocation to the United States.
Despite the warnings, Kasparov affirmed his resolve. “I will not stop and I will not hide, even if I thought it was possible to do so,” he wrote. He added that true safety for himself and his family would remain elusive as long as Vladimir Putin remains in power, a condition shared by millions of Russians.
The Justice Department described a network known as the RIS Network, which it alleges has been conspiring to carry out assassinations against Russian critics globally since at least 2024. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg stated that the group attempted to recruit US citizens and foreigners to execute killings at the Kremlin’s direction.
The five individuals charged with organizing the plots are Yuri Khrameev, Kirill Khrameev, Oemis Romagoza Durruthy, Yaidel Delgado Suarez, and Angel Eduardo Castro. All five remain at large. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the charges, stating he would not respond until presented with credible evidence or tangible facts.
Another prominent figure linked to the reported plot is Ilya Ponomarev, the sole Russian MP who voted against the 2014 annexation of Crimea. Currently in exile in Ukraine, Ponomarev declined to confirm or deny whether he had been tipped off about the conspiracy but told the Moscow Times that the allegations represented a “new level of escalation” by Russia.
Kasparov, who retired from competitive chess in 2005 to found political opposition movements, fled Russia in 2013. Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he was labeled a foreign agent by Russian authorities, and in 2024, he was added to a list of terrorists and extremists, designations he strongly rejects.
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