Vladimir Osechkin, a Russian activist residing in southwestern France, has lived under police protection since 2022, fearing for his life due to alleged assassination attempts by Russian operatives. To ensure the safety of his family, he often calls the police for assistance when taking his children to school or visiting the supermarket. His situation escalated dramatically when, in April 2025, a crew of Russian men surveilled his home for several hours, potentially laying the groundwork for an assassination.
Russian officials have a long history of attempting to silence their opponents abroad, and intelligence officials from various Western countries have reported a noticeable increase in targeted killings since President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Three Western intelligence sources, speaking anonymously, confirmed that the Russian security services have become more audacious concerning their targets, now focusing on Russian activists and foreign supporters of Ukraine.
There have been several attempted assassination plots across Europe attributed to Russian operatives. Notably, Lithuanian authorities recently thwarted a plan against a supporter of Ukraine and another regarding a Russian activist. Similar plots were disrupted in Germany and Poland, where men were arrested for allegedly trying to kill Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Furthermore, in 2024, a Russian helicopter pilot who defected was killed in Spain, leading to suspicions of Russian involvement.
The intelligence community links these assassination attempts to Russia's broader strategy to undermine the nations supporting Ukraine. Prosecutors have charged multiple individuals involved in various plots across at least seven countries, highlighting the use of proxies to carry out these operations. Osechkin, for instance, has faced intensified threats after revealing alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine and aiding Russian military defectors. He moved to France in 2015 and was placed under police protection in 2022 when intelligence suggested his life was in danger.
Similar threats have impacted other activists. In Lithuania, Ruslan Gabbasov discovered a hidden Apple AirTag on his vehicle, indicating he was being tracked. Authorities informed him of a killer apprehended near his home, further increasing his fears. Gabbasov declined the offer from authorities to disappear, stating that it would betray his followers in Bashkortostan, a region of strategic interest to the Kremlin.
Another Lithuanian activist, Valdas Bartkevicius, faced a plot involving a bomb in his mailbox, emphasizing the real and present danger these activists encounter. Lithuanian authorities charged 13 individuals linked to such plots, pointing to direct orders from Russian military intelligence. These arrests mirror similar operations across Europe as Russian espionage adapts to external pressures from Western nations, which have expelled numerous Russian diplomats since the high-profile poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal in the UK in 2018.
The shift to using proxies for these operations signifies a tactical adaptation by Russia in response to international backlash. Although many plots have been foiled, the continued targeting of activists raises concerns that the Kremlin is employing these assassination attempts not only to eliminate dissidents but also to instill fear and disrupt law enforcement across Europe. The perceived danger remains high for those opposing the Russian regime, indicating ongoing risks despite thwarted operations.
