French counterterrorism prosecutors have opened an investigation into a planned attack targeting Russian human rights activist Vladimir Osechkin, head of the Gulagu.net project. Osechkin has lived in France for the past decade. On October 13, 2025, authorities arrested four men aged 26 to 38 in various locations across the country. Prosecutors are expected to charge all suspects with participation in a terrorist conspiracy aimed at preparing one or more violent crimes, requesting pre-trial detention. Preliminary reports indicate that three of the arrested men are from Dagestan, and evidence from their phones showed reconnaissance near Osechkin’s home in Biarritz earlier this year.
Osechkin’s work exposing Russian abuses
Vladimir Osechkin runs Gulagu.net, a platform documenting crimes of the Putin regime across Russian society. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he has also been involved in identifying individuals linked to the Wagner group implicated in war crimes in Ukraine. His work has made him a prominent target for attempts to silence critics abroad.
Patterns of targeting opposition figures in Europe
The plot against Osechkin underscores a pattern in which Russia does not shy away from targeting dissidents, human rights defenders, and regime critics on European soil. Moscow has repeatedly been accused of involvement in attacks, poisonings, and killings abroad, including the cases of Alexander Litvinenko (poisoned in London, 2006), Sergei and Yulia Skripal (poisoned in Salisbury, 2018), Vladimir Kara-Murza (poisoned in 2015 and 2017), and Alexei Navalny (poisoned in 2020, killed in 2024). Russian opposition figures in Europe routinely report surveillance, threats, and disinformation campaigns designed to discredit them. In 2023, a group of exiled Russian dissidents in the EU issued a declaration condemning the war and the Putin regime, calling for the release of political prisoners and an end to external aggression.
Motives behind Kremlin intimidation
One key motive is intimidation: the Kremlin seeks to demonstrate that its critics are not safe even abroad, creating fear among other dissidents and potential opponents. Another motive is control over the information space, as exiled activists often have access to Western media, platforms, and audiences, shaping international perceptions of Russia. Public criticism of the regime is treated as an act of betrayal, and persecution serves both as punishment and reprisal. Additionally, in 2025, Russian authorities supported legislation allowing the confiscation of assets belonging to opposition figures abroad, adding an economic dimension to pressure. According to the Institute for the Study of War, Russia may plan extraterritorial killings of dissidents to falsely blame Ukraine or Western countries, reflecting a broader hybrid warfare and disinformation strategy.
International implications and security concerns
The foiled assassination attempt highlights ongoing threats to activists and the broader risks for international law and European security. Law enforcement vigilance in France prevented potential loss of life, but the case underscores the persistent reach of authoritarian regimes against critics worldwide. Analysts warn that without sustained international scrutiny and protective measures, opposition figures abroad remain vulnerable to both physical and informational attacks.
