Russia’s Expanding Assassination Campaign Targets Dissidents Across Europe

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Western intelligence has documented a surge in covert attempts to eliminate Russian critics and Ukraine supporters on European soil. Court filings reveal an April 2025 surveillance operation outside Vladimir Osechkin’s home in Biarritz, France, while Lithuanian police foiled a mailbox bomb aimed at Valdas Bartkevicius and an AirTag-tracked car belonging to Ruslan Gabbasov. The pattern follows the 2018 Skripal poisoning, suggesting a systematic, politically authorized campaign.

Russia is ramping up its attempts to kill opponents in Europe, intelligence officials say

Vladimir Osechkin, a former prisoner-rights advocate who fled Russia in 2015, has lived under French police protection since 2022 after threats intensified following his investigations of Russian abuses in Ukraine. Lithuanian fundraiser Valdas Bartkevicius, known for anti-Russian protests, survived a March 2025 mailbox bomb that was defused by authorities. Bashkortostan independence activist Ruslan Gabbasov discovered an Apple AirTag on his vehicle in February 2025 and was warned that an armed killer had been detained nearby. All three refused offers to disappear, citing personal and political commitments.

Associated PressRussia is ramping up its attempts to kill opponents in Europe, intelligence officials say

Key incidents include the 2018 Skripal nerve-agent attack in Salisbury, the 2022 invasion that analysts link to a rise in overseas targeting, a 2024 Polish arrest over a plot against President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the March 2025 mailbox bomb against Bartkevicius, the April 2025 surveillance of Osechkin’s residence, and the February 2025 AirTag discovery on Gabbasov’s car. Western agencies have recorded 191 sabotage, arson and related acts tied to Russia, charged 13 suspects from at least seven nations in the 2025 plots, and identified more than 20 detainees across Europe in the past year.

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Russia’s foreign ministry, represented by spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, declined to comment on the alleged plots, stating there was “no need” for a response. French authorities placed Osechkin under police protection, citing credible threats. Lithuanian prosecutors charged 13 individuals, describing the operations as “directly ordered by Russian military intelligence.” Western officials, including a senior European intelligence officer, argue the campaign is politically authorized, violates international law, and seeks to undermine European support for Ukraine.

Associated PressRussia is ramping up its attempts to kill opponents in Europe, intelligence officials say

Russian officials deny involvement in the plots, while Western intelligence cites court documents, surveillance footage and the arrest of suspects with ties to Russian organized crime. Public evidence directly linking the operations to the Kremlin remains limited, leaving the precise chain of command unresolved.

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• “If it weren’t for them, I probably would have been killed,” — Vladimir Osechkin, activist

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• “Yesterday, a killer was detained near your house; he was waiting for you with a gun. ... He was ready to wait for you all night.” — Lithuanian police officer, to Ruslan Gabbasov

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• “They could kill me ... or I could hide from everyone and stop engaging in political activity. That’s exactly what they want.” — Ruslan Gabbasov, Bashkortostan independence activist

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• “This campaign is not by accident or chance,” — Senior European intelligence official

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European security services warn that thwarted plots do not guarantee safety. Intelligence officials stress continued vigilance, coordinated counter-intelligence, and protection for at-risk dissidents to preserve democratic resilience.

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