Ex-Pussy Riot Member Says She Helped the FSB Spy on Kremlin Critics

Aug. 24, 2026 Rita Flores. Social media Former Pussy Riot member Rita Flores has revealed that she was coerced into working as an informant for Russia’s FSB security service, saying that she gathered information on anti-war activists and was involved in a failed assassination plot against an exiled Kremlin critic. Flores said FSB officers coerced her into signing a cooperation agreement following a February 2023 raid on her Moscow apartment, threatening her with criminal prosecution over social media posts about alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine alongside death threats against her relatives. “They began recruiting me with all kinds of threats and abuse [including] threats to murder my family and that I’d never be able to prove who killed my mother,” she told the exiled news outlet Port in a video interview. Operating under the codename “Harley,” Flores said she was assigned to build detailed profiles on Russian artists and political dissidents. Between early 2024 and June, she received monthly payments of 50,000 rubles ($600) from her security service handlers after an initial disbursement of 30,000 rubles ($360). Flores detailed how she deliberately sabotaged her FSB assignments for over two years, faking personal feuds with targets like artists Philippenzo and Pavel Krisevich to delay their arrest by law enforcement authorities. In mid-2025, Flores said she was ordered to lure her ex-boyfriend and former Pussy Riot member Pyotr Verzilov into a cafe in Serbia where undercover FSB agents planned to kidnap and kill him. The activist said she was offered 3 million rubles ($36,000) for her role in that assassination plot. “That was the point of no return. Before, I thought I just needed to wait to get my passport back and flee. But then I realized how far they were willing to go,” Flores said in the interview with Port. Refusing to help carry out the assassination plot against Verzilov, Flores stalled her handlers and sought help from human rights lawyer Dmitry Zakhvatov. Exiled businessman Leonid Nevzlin subsequently helped her flee Russia earlier this month. The Moscow Times could not independently verify any of the claims made by Flores. Read more about: FSB , Pussy riot Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more FSB Chief Calls Pager Attacks a ‘Direct Threat’ to CIS Countries Speaking at a meeting of CIS special service chiefs, Bortnikov said that such technology could be used for other assassination attempts. 1 Min read Russia's FSB Detains Nearly 40 Alleged Supporters of 'Ukrainian Terrorist' Groups Authorities claimed that nine teenagers had been involved in planning "armed attacks on educational and religious institutions." 1 Min read Russia Charges Australian, Romanian Journalists Over Reporting From Kursk Despite being identified as U.S. citizens by the FSB, the charged ABC reporters Kathryn Diss and Fletcher Yeung are Australian nationals. 1 Min read Russian Far-Right Group Claims to ‘Reinforce’ Finnish Border With FSB Guards Rusich said its members “officially entered into cooperation” with the border service of the Federal Security Service in northwestern Russia. 1 Min read