Kasparov Says US and Lithuanian Security Services Warned Him of Threat to His Life

Exiled Russian opposition figure Garry Kasparov has disclosed that American and Lithuanian security services cautioned him that his life was in danger, making him one of two dissidents advised to adopt protective measures. The former world chess champion confirmed he had followed the guidance he received, though he did not specify the nature of the precautions taken.

Kasparov's revelation follows a significant development in the United States, where the Justice Department unsealed an indictment earlier this month against five individuals accused of working for a network connected to the Kremlin. The charges allege that this network plotted attacks and assassinations across multiple countries, including the United States, with Russian dissidents and defectors identified as the primary targets.

Writing in his publication The Next Move, Kasparov explained that authorities had not explicitly informed him that he and Ivan Tyutrin, a fellow co-founder of the Free Russia Forum, were considered specific targets. Nevertheless, he stated that both men had received warnings regarding their personal safety. The disclosure underscores the heightened risks facing prominent Russian opposition figures who have relocated abroad.

The Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported that it had obtained information indicating Kasparov, along with another Russian opposition figure, Ilya Ponomarev, had been alerted to the alleged plot by US authorities during the summer. The paper, citing sources close to Kasparov, noted that he had been placed under enhanced protection for the first time since establishing residence in the United States.

In his written statement, Kasparov struck a defiant tone, declaring that he would neither cease his activities nor go into hiding, even if he believed concealment were possible. He emphasised that true safety for himself and his family would remain elusive as long as Vladimir Putin holds power in Russia, a sentiment he said was shared by millions of people.

The 61-year-old retired from competitive chess in 2005 to pursue a political career, establishing movements that openly challenged Putin's leadership before fleeing Russia in 2013. He has not returned to his homeland since that departure. Russian authorities designated him as a foreign agent following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and in 2024 added him to a list of terrorists and extremists. Kasparov has rejected both classifications.

The second reported target, Ilya Ponomarev, holds a distinctive place in Russian political history as the only member of parliament who voted against the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. He subsequently went into exile in Ukraine. When approached by the Moscow Times, Ponomarev declined to either confirm or deny whether he had been warned about the alleged plot, but he characterised the allegations as representing a new level of escalation by Russia.

According to the US Justice Department, a network of individuals working for Russian intelligence services has been operating since at least 2024. The department stated that this so-called RIS Network has been conspiring to conduct attacks and murders targeting Russian dissidents and defectors around the world. The scale and reach of the alleged operation have raised serious concerns among Western security officials.

Assistant Attorney General for national security John A Eisenberg described the five alleged members of the network as operating as part of a global assassination apparatus that extended into the United States. He said the group attempted to recruit American citizens and foreign nationals to carry out killings at the direction of the Kremlin. The indictment represents one of the most detailed public accounts of alleged Russian state-sponsored assassination plotting on US soil.

The five individuals named in the indictment are Yuri Khrameev, Kirill Khrameev, Oemis Romagoza Durruthy, Yaidel Delgado Suarez and Angel Eduardo Castro. All five remain at large, according to the Justice Department, meaning the alleged network's operations may not have been fully disrupted despite the charges being made public.

The Kremlin has responded cautiously to the allegations. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when the indictment was unsealed that he would not comment on the charges until he had heard or seen any credible evidence or tangible facts. The Russian government has consistently denied involvement in such operations, though Western intelligence agencies have documented numerous assassination attempts on Russian dissidents abroad in recent years.

Kasparov's case highlights the persistent dangers faced by prominent critics of the Putin regime who live outside Russia's borders. The warnings from US and Lithuanian authorities suggest that Western security services are actively monitoring threats against these individuals and are willing to share intelligence to protect them. Lithuania, a Nato member with a significant Russian-speaking population and a history of tensions with Moscow, has become a hub for Russian opposition activity in recent years.

The timing of the indictment and the warnings to Kasparov and others point to growing concern in Western capitals about the scope of Russian intelligence operations targeting dissidents. Previous cases, including the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006 and the nerve agent attack on Sergei Skripal in Salisbury in 2018, have demonstrated the Kremlin's willingness to pursue its critics far beyond Russian territory.

Kasparov's decision to speak publicly about the warnings, while maintaining that he will not alter his activities, reflects a broader dilemma facing Russian opposition figures in exile. They must balance personal security against the imperative to continue their political work and maintain visibility. For Kasparov, the choice appears clear: continued engagement despite the risks, a stance that has defined his post-chess career and made him one of the most recognisable voices challenging Putin's authority from abroad.