Vladimir Putin's assassination 'kill list' declassified for the first time by US intelligence

A long-classified memorandum has conscionable been released and it includes details of a fig of assassinations believed to person been ordered by Russian president Vladimir Putin

Vladimir Putin's assassination targets person been revealed aft immoderate top-secret documents were declassified for the archetypal clip by US intelligence.

The "kill list", which has been kept hidden for years and has present been unveiled acknowledgment to a Freedom of Information Act request, contains the names of radical connected the Russian president's "kill list" - and includes his critics, opponents, arsenic good arsenic different politicians. Over the past fewer years, determination person been a bid of instances during which salient critics of the Kremlin, and Putin successful particular, died successful suspicious circumstances - from falling retired of windows to being poisoned oregon taking their ain lives successful inexplicable ways.

Now, the long-classified memorandum by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has been released, and it sheds lights connected immoderate of those mysterious deaths. The papers declares: "Putin astir apt authorizes assassinations of high-profile figures abroad.

"The Russian Government volition proceed to usage its quality services and different loyal entities to assassinate suspected terrorists arsenic good arsenic individuals overseas whom it deems arsenic threats to [...] Vladimir Putin's regime. Our assurance level for this judgement is high, based connected authoritative Russian statements and the findings of overseas governments successful countries wherever assassinations person taken place."

The papers was declassified pursuing a petition from Bloomberg, with the work reporting that American politicians had tucked accusation wrong a 2016 quality spending measure that tasked US quality with preparing a classified appraisal for the committees - and it was astir "the usage of governmental assassinations arsenic a signifier of statecraft by the Russian Federation since January 1, 2000."

The memo mentions the "first wide case" of Putin ordering an assassination overseas took spot successful 2004, erstwhile Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev - who was the 2nd president of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria betwixt 1996 and 1997 - was killed. He was assassinated erstwhile a weaponry ripped done his SUV successful Doha, Qatar.

Authorities recovered the sidesplitting was carried retired by agents from Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), Anatoly Belashkov and Vasily Bogachev. The brace were sentenced to beingness imprisonment by a Qatari tribunal earlier being extradited to Russia, wherever they were expected to service their sentence. However, Russian situation authorities aboriginal claimed they ne'er recovered Belashkov and Bogachev.

Another assassination mentioned successful the memo is that of British-naturalised Russian defector Alexander Litvinenko, a erstwhile serviceman of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) who specialised successful tackling organised crime, who was killed successful London successful 2006. The erstwhile Russian spy was poisoned with radioactive polonium-210 which was slipped successful a cupful of beverage successful a London edifice and died 3 weeks later.

Litvinenko had fled to Britain aft criticising Putin and aft his death, it was revealed that MI6 had paid him. It is believed his execution was signed disconnected by Putin - which the Kremlin has ever denied. Two of his cronies, Dmitri Kovtun and Andrei Lugovoi, were accused of carrying retired the hit.

In 2022, Kovtun died aged 56 successful a Moscow infirmary owed to complications from Covid-19, portion Lugovoi is inactive wanted successful the UK for Litvinenko's murder. The US quality study said astir the assassination: "The authoritative British enquiry into Litvinenko's execution concluded that Putin 'probably approved' it, based upon a reappraisal of carnal grounds and decision-making connected matters related to the information services."

The memo besides mentions the decease of Russian businessman Alexander Perepelichny successful 2012. The 44-year-old collapsed successful Surrey aft pending the nighttime with his mistress successful Paris - and according to the document, helium was "assassinated with a biologic toxin successful the UK successful 2012 soon earlier helium was scheduled to attest astir a Kremlin taxation fraud network."

Another suspected sidesplitting mentioned successful the papers is that of Alexander Bednov, a professional of the Kremlin, who died successful 2015. The papers says: "At slightest immoderate cardinal separatist figures successful Ukraine's Donbas Region who resisted Kremlin orders, specified arsenic Oleksandr Bednov, person astir apt been killed astatine Moscow's behest, reflecting Russia's precedence connected maintaining power implicit the region."

While immoderate of the cases mentioned successful the papers are from years ago, determination are inactive fears that since the penetration of Ukraine, Russia has continued pursuing Putin foes abroad. Some of the astir high-profile deaths that person been linked to Putin see that of his hostile Alexei Navalny, 47, who died successful February successful a jailhouse successful the Russian Arctic portion serving a 19-year condemnation connected "extremism" charges.

In August past year, Yevgeny Prigozhin, a vocal Putin professional and the caput of the Wagner mercenary group, died successful a fireball backstage pitchy crash. The decease of Russian TV cook Alexei Zimin, who fled to London aft opposing the Ukraine war, has besides been linked to Putin. The 52-year-old was recovered dormant successful a Belgrade edifice portion connected a promotional circuit to the Serbian capital.