An international network that was planning crimes in the EU on behalf of Russian intelligence agencies has been exposed
Ukrainian investigators have uncovered a network involved in planning contract killings and acts of sabotage in EU countries on behalf of Russian intelligence agencies.
This was reported on April 27 by the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine.
Prosecutors from the Office of the Prosecutor General, together with investigators from the Main Investigation Department of the National Police of Ukraine and law enforcement agencies from several countries, conducted an international operation that halted the preparation of serious crimes in EU countries. The perpetrators, intermediaries, and coordinators who organized and financed the activities have been identified.
According to the investigation, since August 2024, representatives of Russian special services, through their proxies, have been planning violent crimes in EU countries. Specifically, in Lithuania, contract killings were being prepared—network members monitored potential victims, gathering data on their places of residence, routes, and daily routines.
Citizens of various countries were involved in the activities, serving as observers, intermediaries, and perpetrators, and providing funding and logistics. Funds were transferred through controlled channels using forged documents to conceal their origin.
An assassination attempt in Lithuania was thwarted: some of the participants were detained, one of them directly during the preparation of the attack.
Further investigation revealed that the network was also active in other EU countries: it collected data on military facilities and equipment for Ukraine, planned provocations and arson attacks on infrastructure, and carried out sabotage at a military facility. The possibility of violent actions on Ukrainian territory was also considered.
As part of the operation, arrests and searches were conducted in EU countries. Some of the individuals have already been handed over to Lithuania. Thirteen people have been notified of their status as suspects: nine have been detained, and European arrest warrants have been issued for four.
In total, dozens of individuals were involved in the network’s activities, and its operations spanned at least several European countries.
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