A Russian spy cell plotted to kidnap and potentially kill Roman Dobrokhotov, the editor-in-chief of the independent Russian investigative outlet The Insider, a court in London revealed in March 2025. The revelation came as three members of the cell were convicted, exposing a Kremlin-backed operation targeting the journalist for his operate exposing Russian intelligence activities.
Dobrokhotov, 42, fled Russia in July 2021, traveling through forests to escape authorities after his reporting on the poisoning of Alexei Navalny and the Novichok attacks in Salisbury implicated Russian security officials. He has remained on a “wanted” list within Russia ever since, according to reporting from VOA News.
The Insider’s investigations, led by Dobrokhotov, uncovered the identities of Russian agents involved in the 2018 poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, England. Three years later, the outlet identified security officials linked to the 2020 poisoning of Navalny. These investigations sparked fury within the Kremlin, ultimately leading to the plot against Dobrokhotov and a colleague, Christo Grozev.
The London court heard evidence that the spy cell, operating from a former guest house in Norfolk, discussed using VX nerve agent or ricin to poison Dobrokhotov. One message intercepted by authorities even suggested “burning him alive on the street” or attacking him with “super-strong acid,” as reported by Metro.co.uk. Despite the conviction of six spies for a combined 50 years, Dobrokhotov expressed continued concern for his safety, believing Russia remains intent on silencing him.
Born in Moscow in 1983, Dobrokhotov founded The Insider in 2013. He is also a political scientist and former activist, with a PhD in Political Science from the Higher School of Economics. His father, Alexander Dobrokhotov, is a Russian philosopher. Dobrokhotov has received multiple awards for his journalism, including the European Press Prize for his work on the Salisbury poisoning investigation in 2019. He also received a Redkollegia award in 2021 for his reporting on attempts to poison Vladimir Kara-Murza, and another in 2025.
The plot against Dobrokhotov unfolded while he was in the United Kingdom and involved a Russian spy ring operating in London and Great Yarmouth. The investigation revealed the extent to which the Kremlin is willing to pursue perceived enemies beyond its borders. As of February 2026, the Russian government has not commented on the convictions or the allegations of a plot against Dobrokhotov.
