{
  "id": "102ddce3-1886-412a-b542-50abaf423658",
  "url": "https://tagesschau.de/investigativ/tiergartenmord-prozess-zeuge-journalist-russland-101.html",
  "source": "extension",
  "status": "approved",
  "category": "Military & Paramilitary Operations",
  "subcategory": "Unconventional / Paramilitary",
  "incident_type": "Proxy forces, militias, mercenaries (e.g. Wagner-type groups)",
  "country": "Germany",
  "source_reliability": "B",
  "info_credibility": "3",
  "tags": [
    "Tiergarten murder",
    "Russian FSB",
    "Vadim Krasikov",
    "Roman Dobrochotow",
    "The Insider",
    "Vympel unit",
    "Russian special forces",
    "Political assassination",
    "Investigative journalism",
    "Hybrid warfare"
  ],
  "nodes": [
    "Node 3: Political Disruptions"
  ],
  "countries": [
    "Germany"
  ],
  "where_text": "Land",
  "headline": "Russian journalist testifies in Tiergarten murder trial revealing links to Russian security services",
  "description": "At the 51st day of the Tiergarten murder trial in Berlin, Russian investigative journalist Roman Dobrochotow testified, providing extensive evidence linking the accused Vadim Sokolov—likely a cover identity for Vadim Krasikov—to Russian security services, specifically the FSB's Vympel unit. Dobrochotow's research traced Krasikov’s involvement in multiple killings, including a 2013 Moscow bicycle murder matching his modus operandi, and connections to Russian special operations in Kyrgyzstan. Dobrochotow and his team faced repression in Russia, including raids and being labeled foreign agents, forcing many to flee. The defense failed to produce documentary proof that the defendant is indeed Sokolov and challenged Dobrochotow’s assertions, but the prosecution corroborated the investigative findings with witness testimonies and official data, strengthening the case that the accused is a career Russian security operative.",
  "summary_short": "Russian journalist testifies in Berlin Tiergarten murder trial linking accused to Russian FSB unit and multiple killings.",
  "summary_extended": "In the Tiergarten murder trial held in Berlin starting in 2020, investigative journalist Roman Dobrochotow, chief editor of The Insider, testified on 25 November 2021 about his research connecting the accused, under the alias Vadim Sokolov, to the real identity Vadim Krasikov and the Russian FSB’s special forces unit Vympel. Dobrochotow presented evidence from Russian government databases, witness accounts including taxi drivers and family members, as well as video footage of similar murders committed in Russia. The accused's ties suggest a background in Russian 'Silowiki' military and security structures and involvement in covert killings abroad. The defense challenged these findings but lacked concrete documentation. Dobrochotow’s investigative team has faced state repression in Russia, with offices raided and staff forced to flee. The trial adds to the narrative of Russian state involvement in extraterritorial assassinations.",
  "actor_primary": "Vadim Krasikov",
  "target_primary": null,
  "location_text": "Berlin, Tiergarten",
  "location_region": "Berlin",
  "location_coordinates_lat": 52.5145,
  "location_coordinates_lon": 13.3558,
  "location_precision": "Approximate",
  "is_aggressor_signal": true,
  "signal_type": "HYBRID_SIGNAL",
  "is_hybrid_war_signal": true,
  "classification_complete": true,
  "hybrid_signal_complete": true,
  "classification_confidence": "High",
  "classification_rationale": "The article clearly describes a discrete hostile event involving a Russian security service operative linked to covert assassinations abroad, evidenced by investigative testimonies and prosecution data in a legal trial.",
  "event_time_utc": "2021-11-25T00:00:00.000Z",
  "end_time_utc": null,
  "event_time_confidence": "pm24h",
  "created_at": "2026-04-28T13:25:00.834Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-08T19:28:17.588Z",
  "reliability_band": "strong",
  "location_precision_band": "approximate",
  "time_precision_band": "within_24h",
  "severity_band": "significant",
  "attribution_confidence_band": "high",
  "attribution_basis": "single_source"
}

{
  "id": "102ddce3-1886-412a-b542-50abaf423658",
  "url": "https://tagesschau.de/investigativ/tiergartenmord-prozess-zeuge-journalist-russland-101.html",
  "source": "extension",
  "status": "approved",
  "category": "Military & Paramilitary Operations",
  "subcategory": "Unconventional / Paramilitary",
  "incident_type": "Proxy forces, militias, mercenaries (e.g. Wagner-type groups)",
  "country": "Germany",
  "source_reliability": "B",
  "info_credibility": "3",
  "tags": [
    "Tiergarten murder",
    "Russian FSB",
    "Vadim Krasikov",
    "Roman Dobrochotow",
    "The Insider",
    "Vympel unit",
    "Russian special forces",
    "Political assassination",
    "Investigative journalism",
    "Hybrid warfare"
  ],
  "nodes": [
    "Node 3: Political Disruptions"
  ],
  "countries": [
    "Germany"
  ],
  "where_text": "Land",
  "headline": "Russian journalist testifies in Tiergarten murder trial revealing links to Russian security services",
  "description": "At the 51st day of the Tiergarten murder trial in Berlin, Russian investigative journalist Roman Dobrochotow testified, providing extensive evidence linking the accused Vadim Sokolov—likely a cover identity for Vadim Krasikov—to Russian security services, specifically the FSB's Vympel unit. Dobrochotow's research traced Krasikov’s involvement in multiple killings, including a 2013 Moscow bicycle murder matching his modus operandi, and connections to Russian special operations in Kyrgyzstan. Dobrochotow and his team faced repression in Russia, including raids and being labeled foreign agents, forcing many to flee. The defense failed to produce documentary proof that the defendant is indeed Sokolov and challenged Dobrochotow’s assertions, but the prosecution corroborated the investigative findings with witness testimonies and official data, strengthening the case that the accused is a career Russian security operative.",
  "summary_short": "Russian journalist testifies in Berlin Tiergarten murder trial linking accused to Russian FSB unit and multiple killings.",
  "summary_extended": "In the Tiergarten murder trial held in Berlin starting in 2020, investigative journalist Roman Dobrochotow, chief editor of The Insider, testified on 25 November 2021 about his research connecting the accused, under the alias Vadim Sokolov, to the real identity Vadim Krasikov and the Russian FSB’s special forces unit Vympel. Dobrochotow presented evidence from Russian government databases, witness accounts including taxi drivers and family members, as well as video footage of similar murders committed in Russia. The accused's ties suggest a background in Russian 'Silowiki' military and security structures and involvement in covert killings abroad. The defense challenged these findings but lacked concrete documentation. Dobrochotow’s investigative team has faced state repression in Russia, with offices raided and staff forced to flee. The trial adds to the narrative of Russian state involvement in extraterritorial assassinations.",
  "actor_primary": "Vadim Krasikov",
  "target_primary": null,
  "location_text": "Berlin, Tiergarten",
  "location_region": "Berlin",
  "location_coordinates_lat": 52.5145,
  "location_coordinates_lon": 13.3558,
  "location_precision": "Approximate",
  "is_aggressor_signal": true,
  "signal_type": "HYBRID_SIGNAL",
  "is_hybrid_war_signal": true,
  "classification_complete": true,
  "hybrid_signal_complete": true,
  "classification_confidence": "High",
  "classification_rationale": "The article clearly describes a discrete hostile event involving a Russian security service operative linked to covert assassinations abroad, evidenced by investigative testimonies and prosecution data in a legal trial.",
  "event_time_utc": "2021-11-25T00:00:00.000Z",
  "end_time_utc": null,
  "event_time_confidence": "pm24h",
  "created_at": "2026-04-28T13:25:00.834Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-08T19:28:17.588Z",
  "reliability_band": "strong",
  "location_precision_band": "approximate",
  "time_precision_band": "within_24h",
  "severity_band": "significant",
  "attribution_confidence_band": "high",
  "attribution_basis": "single_source"
}