List of Russian assassinations

This is a list of people suspected or confirmed to have been assassinated by the government of the Russian Federation. ^{[1] [2]} Some of the assassinations or targeted killings took place overseas.

Russian assassinations

Target	Position	Date	City	Country	Killed	Injured	Perpe­trators	Method
Akhmadov brothers [3]	Chechen generals and high-ranking military commanders	1999-2002 (7 brothers killed)		Chechen Republic of Ichkeria	7 Targets	Unknown	FSB
Ruslan Alikhadzhiyev	Chairman of the Parliament of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria	2000-05-17	Shali		1 (target)	0		Forcibly disappeared, possibly tortured to death.
Apti Abitayev [4]	Prime suspect in the 1998 kidnapping incident	2001-05-06	Somewhere in Russia	Russia	1 (target)	0
Dzhokhar Dudayev	President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria	1996-04-21	Chechnya	Chechen Republic of Ichkeria	1 (target)	0	Russian Air Force	Attack by two laser-guided missiles.
Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev		2004-02-13	Doha	Qatar	1 (target) 2 unconfirmed	1	SVR / GRU	Explosive placed on private SUV. [5]
Aslan Maskhadov		2005-03-08	Tolstoy-Yurt, Chechnya	Russia	1 (target)		FSB	FSB special forces raid. Grenade thrown in hiding bunker.
Abdul-Halim Sadulayev		2006-06-17	Argun, Chechnya		9 (including target)	5		FSB police raid. Hand grenade thrown through window (disputed). [6] [7]
Arbi Barayev	Leader of Special Purpose Islamic Regiment	2001-06-22	Alkhan-Kala, Chechnya		18 (including target)	Unknown		FSB special forces raid. Possibly tortured to death. [8]
Ibn al-Khattab	Emir of the Arab Mujahideen in Chechnya	2002-03-20	Chechnya		1 (target)	0		Poisoning with poisoned letter. [9]
Abu al-Walid		2004-04-16	Chechnya		1 (target)	0		Ambushed by FSB snipers. [10]
Abu Hafs al-Urduni		2006-11-26	Chechnya		5 (including target)	Unknown		FSB Special forces raid. [11]
Muhannad		2011-04-21	Chechnya		2 (including target)	Unknown		FSB search & destroy operation.
Abdulla Kurd		2011-05-03	Chechnya		2 (including target)	Unknown		Shot during FSB scout operation.
Turpal-Ali Atgeriyev	Deputy Prime Minister and National Security Minister of Chechnya	2002-08-18	Yekaterinburg		1 (target)	0	Unknown Russian agents	Possibly tortured to death. [12]
Salman Raduyev	Chechen separatist warlord and rebel commander	2002-12-14	Solikamsk		1 (target)	0		Possibly executed in prison. [12]
Ruslan Gelayev	Deputy Prime Minister of Chechnya	2004-02-28	Bezhta  ( ru ), Dagestan		35-40 (including target)	Unknown	Border Security Service	Shot by rifle during gunfight, died from exsangui­nation after cutting off his hand.
Abu Umar Mohammed Al-Sayyaf  ( ru )	Senior leader of the Arab Mujahideen in Chechnya and Ibn al-Khattab's deputy	2001-07-11	Mayrtup, Chechnya		1 (Target)	Unknown
Aslambek Abdulkhadzhiev	Field commander of Chechen Republic of Ichkeria and deputy of Shamil Basayev	2002-08-26	Shali		1 (Target)	0
Mahmud Hisham al-Hennawi [13]	One of the founders of EIJ and Al-Qaeda affiliate	2005-??-??	Chechnya		1 (Target)	0	FSB special forces raid. [14]
Magomedzagir Akayev	Senior commander of Shariat Jamaat	2005-01-15	Kaspiysk, Dagestan		1 (Target)	Unknown
Abu Omar al-Kuwaiti	Al-Qaeda agent and involved in Beslan school siege	2005-02-16	Ingushetia		1 (Target)	Unknown	FSB special forces raid. [15]
Rizvan Chitigov	Senior Chechen intelligence chief and alleged CIA agent	2005-03-23	Shali, Chechnya		1 (Target)	Unknown	FSB special forces raid. [16]
Akhmed Avdorkhanov	Head of security for President Aslan Maskhadov	2005-09-19	Somewhere in Chechnya		1 (Target)	Unknown	FBS special forces raid.
Abu Omar al-Saif [17]	Mufti of Arab fighters in Chechnya and Al-Qaeda affiliate	2005-12-10	Dagestan		1 (Target)	Unknown
Shamil Basayev	Senior Chechen military commander	2006-07-10	Ingushetia		1 (Target)	Unknown		Mine-explosive (possibly remotely detonated). [18]
Amir Khayrullah (Suleiman Imurzayev)	Senior Chechen commander and prime suspect of the 2004 Grozny stadium bombing	2007-04-05	Grozny, Chechnya		1 (Target)	Unknown
Khura-Magomed Ramazanov	Senior Islamic cleric	2007-07-26	Makhachkala, Dagestan		1 (Target)	Unknown
Ratmir Shameyev [19]	Senior Chechen militants	2011-04-29	Progress, Stavropol Krai		9 (including 7 targets)	Unknown		Killed in gunfight. [20]
Aslanbek Khamurzov [19]					1 (Target)	Unknown
Alexander Litvinenko	Defected lieutenant colonel of FSB	2006-11-23	London	United Kingdom	1 (Target)	0	SVR	Poisoning with radionuclide polonium-210. [21]
Umar Israilov	Ex bodyguard of Ramzan Kadyrov / Critic of the Chechen government	2009-01-13	Vienna	Austria	1 (Target)	0		Shot twice in the head after trying to flee. [22]
Movladi Baisarov	Ex commander of the Special Battalion Vostok	2006-11-18	Moscow	Russia	1 (Target)	0	Kadyrovtsy	Shot by automatic weapons.
Sulim Yamadayev	Lieutenant Colonel of Special Battalion Vostok	2009-03-28 (Died 03–30)	Dubai	United Arab Emirates	1 (target)	1		Shot in the neck.
Said Buryatsky	Commander of Riyad-us Saliheen Brigade of Martyrs's suicide bombers brigade	2010-03-02	Ekazhevo, Ingushetia	Russia	1 (Target)	0	FSB / MVD
Yassir al-Sudani	Commander of Caucasus Emirate	2010-06-08	Vedeno, Chechnya		8 (including target)	Unknown
Eldar Magatov [23]	Senior Islamist militant	2014-01-21	likely Dagestan		1 (Target)	Unknown	Russian police and pro-government militia
Vakha Arsanov	Vice president of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria	2005-05-15	Ivanovo		4 (including target)	Unknown		Either shot during gunfight or tortured to death in private prison.
Supyan Abdullayev		2011-03-28	Ingushetia		1 (Target)	Unknown	Russian Air Force	Targeted airstrike.
Zaurbek Avdorkhanov [24]	Field commander of Caucasus Emirate	2012-07-31	Galashki, Ingushetia		1 (Target)	Unknown	FSB
Ibragim Avdorkhanov [24]	Chechen separatists and part of 2010 Tsentoroy attack				1 (Target)	Unknown
Ayub Khaladov [24]					1 (Target)	Unknown
Dokka Umarov	Emir of the Caucasus Emirate	2013-09-07	Ingushetia		1 (Target)	Unknown		Poisoning.
Aliaskhab Kebekov		2015-04-19	Buynaksk, Dagestan		1 (Target)	0		FSB security forces raid. [25]
Magomed Suleimanov		2015-08-11	Gimry, Dagestan		1 (Target)	0		FSB security forces raid. [26]
Zalim Shebzukhov		2016-08-17	Saint Petersburg		3 (including target)	0		FSB security forces raid. [27]
Rasul Makasharipov	Emir of Vilayat Dagestan	2005-07-06	Makhachkala, Dagestan		1 (Target)	0		FSB special forces raid. [28]
Anna Politkovskaya	Journalist	2006	Russia		1 (Target)	0
Rappani Khalilov	Emir of Vilayat Dagestan	2007-09-17	Novy Sulak, Dagestan		3 (including target)	12		FSB special forces raid. Killed by gunfight and/or collapse of residence by tanks. [29]
Abdul Madzhid		2008-09-07	Magaram­kentsky, Dagestan		2 (including target)	Unknown		Ambushed by FSB special forces.
Omar Sheikhulayev		2009-02-05	outside Makhachkala, Dagestan		1 (Target)	0		Killed in gunfight with FSB security forces.
Umalat Magomedov		2009-12-31	Khasavyurt, Dagestan		1 (Target)	Unknown		FSB security forces raid.
Magomed Vagabov		2010-08-21	Gunib, Dagestan		5 (including target)	0		FSB special forces raid.
Israpil Velijanov		2011-04-18	Dagestan		1 (Target)	0		FSB security forces raid.
Ibragimkhalil Daudov		2012-02-14	Dagestan		2 (including target)	0		Died from wounds and exposure after fleeing from FSB security forces raid.
Rustam Asildarov		2016-12-03	near Makhachkala, Dagestan		5 (including target)	0		FSB special forces raid.
Said Kharakansky		2017-02-07	Dagestan		1 (Target)	0
Muslim Atayev	Emir of Vilayat KBK	2005-01-27	Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkaria		2+ (including target)	0		Cornered and killed by FSB police force.
Anzor Astemirov		2010-03-24			4 (including target)	0		Killed in gunfight with FSB officers after routine identity check.
Asker Dzhappuyev		2011-04-29	Progress Stavropol Krai		10 (including target)	0
Alim Zankishiev		2012-03-27	Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkaria		1 (Target)	0		FSB security forces raid. [30]
Khuseyn Gakayev	Commander of Vilayat Nokhchicho (Eastern Sector)	2013-01-24	Vedeno, Chechnya		11 (including target)	0		Killed in gunfight after FSB scout operation.
Dzhamaleyl Mutaliyev [31]	Emir of Vilayat Galgayche	2013-05-21	Nazran		1 (Target)	Unknown
Arthur Getagazhev		2014-05-24	Sagopshi, Ingushetia		7 (including taget)	0		FSB security forces raid.
Beslan Makhauri [32]		2015-10-31	Nazran		1 (Target)	Unknown
Ilyas Vedzizhev [32]	Insurgent of Vilayat Galgayche				1 (Target)	Unknown
Zaur Prokopchuk	Senior Caucasus Emirate militant	2015-04-16	Nalchik		1 (Target)	Unknown
Ali Osaev [33]	Istanbul represen­tative of the Caucasus Emirate	2009-02-26			1 (Target)	Unknown
Robert Zankishiev	Head of Kabardino-Balkaria's terrorist organization	2015-11-10	Unknown		1 (Target)	Unknown
Berg-Hadj Musayev [33]	Senior chechen separatists	2011-09-16	Istanbul	Turkey	1 (Target)	Unknown	SVR	Shot. [34]
Zaurbek Amriyev [33]					1 (Target)	Unknown
Rustam Altemirov [33]					1 (Target)	Unknown
Abdullah Bukhari [34]	Usbek-chechen Islamic cleric	2014-12-10			1 (Target)	Unknown		Shot with a handgun. [34]
Abdulvahid Edelgiriev [34]	Chechen commander during the Chechen-Russian conflict	2015-11-01	Başakşehir, İstanbul Province		1 (Target)	Unknown		Shot while fleeing and stabbed in the neck. [34]
Ruslan Israpilov [34]	Chechen fighter during the Chechen-Russian conflict	2016-05-11	Kocaeli Province, Turkey		1 (Target)	Unknown		Shot in the head, neck and heart. [34]
Oleksandr Kharaberiush	SBU colonel	2017-03-31	Mariupol	Ukraine	1 (Target)	Unknown	SVR / FSB
Yurii Vitalyevich Voznyi (Yuri Vozny)		2017-06-27	Kostian­tynivka		1 (Target)	Unknown
Maksym Shapoval	HUR MOU colonel		Kyiv		1 (Target)	2		Explosive placed underneath private car.
Timur Makhauri (aka Ali Timaiev) [35] [36]	Chechen battalion commander / fighter	2017-09-08			1 (Target)	Unknown		Explosive placed on car. [35] [36]
Zelimkhan Khangoshvili	Military commander of Chechen Republic of Ichkeria	2019-08-23	Berlin	Germany	1 (Target)	0	GRU [37]	Shot twice in the head with a Glock 26 by a Russian contract killer.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, Dmitry Utkin, Valery Chekalov, and seven others	Russian oligarch and leader of Wagner Group, Wagner commanders, air crew	2023-08-24	Kuzhenkino, Tver Oblast	Russia	10 (including 7 targets)	0		Killed in plane crash after likely bomb exploded on board. [38] [39] [40] Putin's right-hand man Nikolai Patrushev is believed to have orchestrated the assassination of Prigozhin. [41]
Alexander Perepilichny	Russian businessman	2012-11-10	London	United Kingdom	1 (Target)	0		Poisoned with a biological poison shortly before court testimony on Putin's financial network. [2]
Alexander Bednov	Russian military commander	2015-01-05	Luhansk	Ukraine	1 (Target)	Unknown	GRU	Killed during an arrest by "Luhansk People's Republic" police. [2]

See also

• List of assassinations in Europe § Russia
• List of deaths during the Russian invasion of Ukraine
• List of Soviet assassinations
• List of assassinations by the United States
• List of Israeli assassinations
• List of journalists killed in Russia
• List of Second Chechen War assassinations
• Operations conducted by the Mossad
• Operation Condor

• Suspicious Russia-related deaths since 2022

References

1. Filipov, David (23 March 2017). "Here are 10 critics of Vladimir Putin who died violently or in suspicious ways". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on 23 March 2017.
2. "Putin's Assassination Targets Revealed in Declassified Memo". Bloomberg.com. 22 November 2024. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
3. "In Turkey, police releases Uvais Akhmadov". Caucasian Knot . 15 October 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
4. Warren, Marcus (14 May 2001). "Britons' kidnap suspect killed by Russians". The Telegraph . Archived from the original on 9 November 2012. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
5. "Ex-Chechen president dies in blast". NBC News . The Associated Press. 13 February 2004.
6. "Report: Chechen Rebel chief killed". CNN World . Associated Press. 17 June 2006. Archived from the original on 18 December 2007. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
7. Smirnov, Andrei (22 June 2006). "Sadulaev Death Result Of Good Luck, Not Good Planning". Eurasia Daily Monitor . The Jamestown Foundation. Archived from the original on 18 September 2008. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
8. Kullberg, Anssi (6 October 2003). "The Background of Chechen Independence Movement VI: From the Dubrovka Theatre to "Black Widows"". The Eurasian Politician.
9. Kramer, Andrew E. (20 August 2016). "More of Kremlin's Opponents Are Ending up Dead". The New York Times .
10. McGregor, Andrew (1 February 2005). "Abu Hafs Al-urdani: The Quiet Mujahid". North Caucasus Weekly . Vol. 6, no. 5. The Jamestown Foundation. Archived from the original on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
11. Andrew McGregor. "Death of a Jordanian Mujahid: Abu Hafs al-Urdani". North Caucasus Weekly . Vol. 7, no. 46. The Jamestown Foundation.
12. Peuch, Jean-Christophe (9 April 2008). "Russia: Relatives, Chechen Leaders Question Official Version Of Raduev's Death". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty . Retrieved 13 September 2022.
13. Death of Senior EIJ Member Mahmud Hisham al-Hennawi Reported in the Caucasus (PDF). Global Terror Alert (Report). May 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 October 2006.
14. Kohlmann, Evan (17 April 2005). "Death of Senior Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ) Member Mahmud Hisham al-Hennawi Reported in the Caucasus" (PDF). Global Terroralert. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 February 2009. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
15. Chivers, C.j. (22 February 2005). "World Briefing | Europe: Russia: Suspected Qaeda Operative Dead". The New York Times .
16. "Several Major Rebel Commanders Reportedly Killed". North Caucasus Weekly . Vol. 6, no. 13. The Jamestown Foundation. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
17. "Abu Omar Reportedly Killed". North Caucasus Weekly . Vol. 6, no. 47. The Jamestown Foundation. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
18. "Шамиля Басаева узнают по рукам и ноге". Kommersant (in Russian). No. 125. 12 July 2006. p. 1. Archived from the original on 9 August 2011.
19. "Clashes in Russia's Caucasus Kill 10 Rebels". Reuters . 29 April 2011. Archived from the original on 25 May 2012.
20. "Balkar, Kabardian Insurgent Leaders Reported Killed". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty . 29 April 2011. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
21. "Litvinenko: A deadly trail of polonium". BBC News . 28 July 2015.
22. "A Killing in Vienna and the Chechen Connection" . Stratfor . 22 January 2009.
23. "Russian police kill Islamist militant leader before Olympics". Reuters . 21 January 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
24. "Chechen Republic Head Announces Killing Of Three Veteran Insurgents". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty . 2 August 2012. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
25. Joscelyn, Thomas; Roggio, Bill (19 April 2015). "Russian troops kill leader of Islamic Caucasus Emirate". FDD's Long War Journal .
26. "Leader Of 'Caucasus Emirate' Killed". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty . 12 August 2015. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
27. "NAC: Zalim Shebzukhov killed in special operation in Saint Petersburg". Caucasian Knot . 17 August 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
28. "Sharia Jamaat Confirms Death Of Its "Emir"". North Caucasus Weekly . Vol. 6, no. 27. The Jamestown Foundation. 14 July 2005. Archived from the original on 21 September 2008. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
29. "Russian Authorities Claim Top Militant Killed In Daghestan". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty . 2 February 2012. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
30. "Russia Insurgent Leader Said Killed". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty . 27 March 2012.
31. "Ingush Insurgency Commander Affirms Support for Embattled Cleric". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty . 1 August 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
32. Vatchagaev, Mairbek (12 November 2015). "Ingush Jamaat Loses Another Amir". Eurasia Daily Monitor . Vol. 12, no. 206. The Jamestown Foundation. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
33. "Chechens killed in Istanbul in the name of Russian intel, prosecutor claims". Hürriyet Daily News . 19 February 2014. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
34. "Have Russian hitmen been killing with impunity in Turkey?". BBC News . 13 December 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
35. "A Chechen Fighter Was Killed In A Kyiv Car Bombing. Who Was He?". Hromadske . 8 September 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
36. Mukhina, Helen (9 September 2017). "Interior Ministry: Georgian citizen Timur Makhauri killed, his wife injured in car blast in central Kyiv (update)". Kyiv Post . Interfax-Ukraine . Retrieved 13 September 2022.
37. "New Evidence Links Russian State to Berlin Assassination". Bellingcat . 27 September 2019. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
38. Porter, Justin (24 August 2023). "Friday Briefing: U.S. Believes Prigozhin Was Killed". The New York Times .
39. Masih, Niha (24 August 2023). "Prigozhin most likely dead, and an explosion may have downed his plane, U.S. officials say". The Washington Post .
40. Smith, Alexander (24 August 2023). "Prigozhin plane debris points to sabotage". NBC News .
41. "Prigozhin Killing Ordered by Putin's Security Council Chief – WSJ". The Moscow Times. 22 December 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.

External links

• Blake, Heidi; Warren, Tom; Holmes, Richard; Leopold, Jason; Bradley, Jane; Campbell, Alex (15 June 2017). "From Russia With Blood: 14 Suspected Hits On British Soil That The Government Ignored". BuzzFeed News .
• Groll, Elias (27 December 2023). "A Brief History of Attempted Russian Assassinations by Poison". Foreign Policy .
• Price, Rob; Ghosh, Shona (6 March 2018). "All the times Russia allegedly carried out assassinations on British soil". Business Insider .
• "Жертви політичної епохи Путіна". Radio Svoboda (in Ukrainian). 3 March 2015.