US charges five alleged Russian agents over global plot

Federal prosecutors in the United States have unsealed charges against five alleged operatives linked to Russian intelligence, accusing them of managing a covert network tasked with carrying out assassinations and sabotage across North America and Europe. According to American officials, the suspects recruited operatives to monitor and target individuals supporting Ukraine, including during a June 2024 operation in Prague. All five suspects remain at large.

Concurrently, a regional court in Stuttgart, Germany, convicted a Ukrainian national involved in a separate Russian-directed scheme. German authorities said the individual worked alongside accomplices to send explosive-laden parcels containing tracking devices from Germany to Ukraine. Prosecutors stated that the operation was orchestrated by a Russian state entity to disrupt public safety and undermine security confidence.

Sources: BBC News, Cyprus Mail, France24, OCCRP, The Guardian.