Vladimir Putin and the GRU spy agency, courtesy of the President of Russia
The recent U.S.-Russia prisoner exchange, one of the largest since the Cold War, saw the U.S. return 26 individuals, including convicted assassins, spies, and hackers, in exchange for Americans, most of whom were wrongfully detained in Russia.
Among those returned were 10 Russian sleeper agents who had been living undercover in the U.S. for years as part of Russia’s “Illegals Program.” These agents were so deeply embedded that even their children only learned they were part of a long-term Russian spy initiative once they were on the flight back to Moscow.
Since Putin took power, there has been a significant increase in covert operations, sabotage, and extraterritorial killings carried out by GRU agents, signaling a more covert warfare strategy.
The GRU (Glavnoye Razvedyvatel’noye Upravleniye) is Russia’s military intelligence service responsible for espionage and clandestine activities abroad.
Known for its ruthless efficiency, the GRU has been linked to high-profile attacks, such as the poisoning of Sergei Skripal in the UK and the sabotage of ammunition depots in the Czech Republic, all part of a broader strategy to destabilize opponents and extend Russian influence globally.
Russian covert operations and espionage are conducted by three primary services: the FSB, GRU, and SVR. The FSB, or Federal Security Service (Federal’naya Sluzhba Bezopasnosti), is the main domestic security agency and the successor to the KGB, operating from its former headquarters in the Lubyanka Building.
While primarily focused on internal security and counterintelligence, the FSB frequently collaborates with the GRU on operations requiring both domestic and international coordination.
The GRU handles military espionage and sabotage abroad, while the SVR (Sluzhba Vneshney Razvedki), Russia’s foreign intelligence service, is responsible for broader international espionage and influence, often working together on complex missions.
In response to Western support for Ukraine, Putin has intensified clandestine operations, utilizing the GRU and FSB (the successor to the KGB, headquartered in the Lubyanka), along with an army of local recruits in target countries.
This campaign of grey zone activities is carefully designed to create chaos and disruption without triggering a full-scale war.
Western intelligence services have already linked a series of sabotage operations across Europe this year to Russian intelligence operatives.
These attacks, which have involved arson and targeted transport networks, have occurred in more than half a dozen countries, including the Czech Republic, Germany, and the UK.
Notably, there was a fire at a Ukraine-linked warehouse in London, an explosion at a BAE facility in Wales, and arrests in Germany and Poland for sabotage plots. Additionally, a foiled plot to assassinate Rheinmetall’s CEO signals a bold escalation in Russian tactics.
Britain’s Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), a respected defense and security think tank in London, has reported that the GRU is restructuring and becoming increasingly active in the West.
Their operations range from assassinating political opponents abroad to interfering in foreign elections, all aimed at undermining Western unity and eroding support for Ukraine.
In December, 14 individuals from Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine were convicted in Poland for being part of a spy ring preparing sabotage, including derailing trains carrying military aid to Ukraine. In February, Maxim Kuzminov, a Russian helicopter pilot who defected to Ukraine, was murdered in Spain.
Additionally, Russian spies intercepted a phone call between senior German air force officers discussing the potential supply of long-range “Taurus” missiles to Ukraine. The recording was released by Russia Today (RT) to sway public opinion against sending these weapons, and ultimately, Germany decided not to send them.
French intelligence services are investigating Russian disinformation campaigns designed to undermine European elections. Russian military and intelligence entities are actively involved in these efforts across multiple platforms, including malign social media operations and the use of both overt and covert proxy media outlets online.
They also leverage cyber operations to deface media outlets and conduct hack-and-release campaigns. These coordinated activities are aimed at manipulating public perception in favor of Moscow, thereby influencing political outcomes across Europe.
Russian transnational criminals and suspected agents have been detected entering the U.S. through the southern border, with similar activities observed in Europe, where borders are even more porous. The exact number of sleeper or active agents within the U.S. and other Western nations remains unknown.
However, the rise in incidents involving espionage, sabotage, and assassinations suggests that the threat is both significant and escalating.
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