Key facts
- Former Pussy Riot member Rita Flores claims she was forcibly recruited by Russia's FSB for three years.
- She was allegedly tasked with gathering intelligence on activists and developing new assets.
- Flores stated the FSB attempted to involve her in a plot to murder Mediazona co-founder Pyotr Verzilov.
- She successfully escaped Russia with the assistance of lawyer Dmitry Zakhvatov and businessman Leonid Nevzlin.
- Pyotr Verzilov confirmed ongoing attempts by the FSB to assassinate him.
Former Pussy Riot member Rita Flores, whose real name is Margarita Konovalova, stated in an interview with Port Media that she was forcibly recruited by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) for three years. She claims the FSB recruited her in 2023 after searching her apartment, threatening her family, and humiliating her.
Flores alleges the FSB ordered her to provide information on artists and political activists, both inside and outside Russia, and to help develop new targets into intelligence assets. Her passport was confiscated, preventing her departure.
She described the period as marked by severe depression, derealization, and PTSD due to constant surveillance. The pressure intensified when the FSB allegedly tasked her with luring Mediazona co-founder Pyotr Verzilov to Serbia for assassination.
Flores contacted lawyer Dmitry Zakhvatov, who helped her stall the FSB's demands. With assistance from Zakhvatov and businessman Leonid Nevzlin, she was eventually able to escape Russia. She shared her story to offer hope to others in similar situations.
Verzilov confirmed to The Kyiv Independent that the FSB has been attempting to kill him for the past decade, viewing these attempts as a testament to his work, particularly in defense of Ukraine.