When Vladimir Osechkin needs to take his children to school or visit the supermarket, he finds himself contacting the police.
Subscribe to read this story ad-free
Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.
The Russian activist has been living under police protection since 2022 due to concerns from French authorities that Russia seeks to eliminate him.
In April 2025, a group of Russian individuals conducted surveillance on Osechkin’s residence in southwestern France for several hours, capturing video and photographic evidence which suggests preparations for an assassination, according to confidential court documents accessed by The Associated Press. Years prior, Osechkin reported seeing a red dot, which he believed to be a laser sight, on his wall.
In other parts of Europe, authorities in Lithuania thwarted a plot last year aimed at a supporter of Ukraine, along with another against a Russian dissident. In Germany, officials dismantled two additional conspiracies: one targeting the CEO of a German arms manufacturer supplying Ukraine, and another focused on a Ukrainian military leader. In Poland, a man was arrested in 2024 regarding an alleged attempt to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. That same year, a Russian helicopter pilot who defected was murdered in Spain, with Russian agents suspected of involvement.
Accusations against Russian officials regarding the silencing of dissenters abroad have persisted, with three Western intelligence officials confirming to the AP that a surge in targeted killings has intensified following President Vladimir Putin’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The officials noted that Russian security services have appeared increasingly bold in their targeting, now pursuing not only military defectors but also Russian activists and foreign supporters of Ukraine. The three sources spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect sensitive information.
“This campaign is deliberate, not coincidental,” stated one source, a senior European intelligence official. “It has political backing.”
Intelligence officials, along with a former senior British counterterrorism officer and prosecutors in Lithuania, perceive this campaign as part of Russia’s broader strategy to undermine European nations aiding Ukraine, which includes a map of 191 acts of sabotage and arson linked to Russia since the war’s onset.
Many individuals implicated in these operations are seen as mere proxies for Russian intelligence operatives. Documents from French courts and various officials indicate that Moscow is employing this method to target those viewed as threats abroad.
Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, remarked to the AP that he did not feel the need to comment. Russian officials have consistently denied any involvement in assassination attempts against opponents overseas.
The AP interviewed three individuals who have faced threats: Osechkin, Lithuanian activist Valdas Bartkevičius, and Ruslan Gabbasov, who advocates for the independence of the Russian region of Bashkortostan.
A trip to the seaside
Court records indicate that three of the four individuals apprehended by French police for plotting against Osechkin visited Biarritz, the coastal resort where he resides, in April 2025. They monitored his residence “with the intention of assassinating him and subsequently intimidating any political adversaries of the Russian regime in France,” the documents state.
All four suspects hail from Russia’s Dagestan region. One has a history of multiple criminal convictions, while another claimed he had been detained by Russia’s domestic security agency and fled to escape being sent to Ukraine.
Osechkin, who established a prisoners’ rights organization years ago, oversees a project that highlights malpractices within Russia’s prison system. Yet, he asserts that threats against him increased significantly after he began uncovering alleged abuses in Ukraine and aiding Russian military deserters.
Having relocated to France in 2015, Osechkin was placed under police protection seven years later when French authorities received credible information regarding a threat to his life.
“Without their intervention, I likely would have been killed,” he expressed.
Targets say Moscow wins if they hide
In Lithuania, Gabbasov, the activist from Bashkortostan, discovered an Apple AirTag tracker covertly affixed to his vehicle in February 2025. Authorities advised him to leave it in place while they followed those tracking him.
A few weeks later, during celebrations of Lithuania’s independence from the Soviet Union with his wife and young son, officers contacted him, urging him not to return home.
The following day, he was informed by authorities: “A hitman was apprehended near your residence, armed and prepared to wait for you through the night.”
They offered Gabbasov the chance to fully “disappear”—changing his identity, relocating, and ceasing his activism.
However, he declined the offer, asserting that many within his predominantly Muslim home region near Kazakhstan view him as a pivotal leader in the independence movement. This region, he noted, holds strategic significance for the Kremlin due to its gold resources and the contribution of its men to the conflict in Ukraine.
“I can’t abandon them out of fear,” Gabbasov stated, emphasizing that doing so would only serve Moscow’s interests.
“What difference does it make to them?” he questioned, referring to the Russian security forces. “Whether they kill me or I hide and cease political activity, that’s precisely what they desire.”
A plot to put a bomb in a mailbox
Lithuanian authorities made a similar proposal to Bartkevičius after learning of a scheme to assassinate him with an explosive planted in his mailbox in March 2025.
But the activist, known for raising funds for Ukraine and gaining notoriety for his anti-Russian demonstrations—such as urinating on a Russian war memorial—refused to “disappear.” He viewed that as a form of “social death.”
Lithuanian prosecutors have charged 13 individuals from at least seven countries in connection with the two plots, part of a total exceeding 20 people who have been detained or identified as involved in similar schemes across Europe over the last year.
Prosecutors revealed that those implicated in the Lithuanian cases received direct orders from Russian military intelligence, and many have ties to organized crime, potentially linking them to further acts of arson and espionage throughout Europe.
Moscow’s shift to relying on such proxies stems from previous incidents, as hinted by Cmdr. Dominic Murphy before his retirement as head of the counterterrorism unit at the Metropolitan Police in Britain.
In 2018, former Russian agent Sergei Skripal was poisoned in Salisbury, England—an attack attributed by the U.K. government to Moscow’s military intelligence. Subsequent to this, Britain and allied Western nations expelled numerous Russian diplomats and agents, making it more challenging for Russian officials to operate in Europe, Murphy noted.
The fact that most plots revealed by Western authorities since 2022 have been thwarted suggests that it may be more complicated for Moscow to carry out operations using proxies as opposed to its own agents, according to one Western intelligence official.
Nonetheless, these assassination attempts appear to serve multiple objectives, including instilling fear in the Kremlin’s adversaries and depleting European law enforcement resources.
Citing the case of Maxim Kuzminov, the helicopter pilot who defected and was threatened with death by armed men on Russian state television, the official remarked that it is evident that Russia’s security services can execute a hit in Europe if they truly desire.
For this reason, a European intelligence official stressed that targets will never truly be safe.
“Even if an operation is thwarted once, you must remain vigilant for potential future attempts.”
Key Takeaways
- Vladimir Osechkin has relied on police protection since 2022 due to threats from Russia.
- Reports indicate an increase in targeted assassinations of Russian dissidents abroad since the Ukraine invasion.
- Western security officials express concern over Russia’s boldness in targeting both military defectors and activists.
- Surveillance and assassination attempts are not limited to individual targets but aim to instill fear among opponents.
- Many involved in assassination plots are regarded as proxies for Russian intelligence.
- Assessments suggest a strategy aimed at undermining European nations supporting Ukraine.
FAQ
What prompted Osechkin to seek police protection?
Osechkin began receiving threats after investigating alleged Russian war abuses and assisting military defectors.
Have there been other known plots against Russian dissidents?
Yes, other plots have been thwarted across Europe, targeting supporters of Ukraine and Russian activists.
What does the increase in targeted killings indicate?
It suggests that Russia’s security services are operating with increasing boldness, indicating political backing for these actions.
How are Russian officials responding to these accusations?
They have consistently denied involvement in assassination plots against their opponents abroad.
What can be inferred about the use of proxies in these plots?
The reliance on proxies may be a response to increased scrutiny and challenges faced by Russian operatives in Europe.
