SPY NEWS: 2023 — Week 14

Summary of the espionage-related news stories for the Week 14 (April 2–8) of 2023.

1. Spy Spots: Episode 1: GCHQ Heron House — The Agency’s Newest Office Space

On April 3rd we published our first episode of the new Spy Spots series. As per its description, “in 2018 Britain’s GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters), the UK’s primary SIGINT agency, opened a new office site in the city of Manchester. In this, first episode, of Spy Spots we visit it and share some of its history.”

2. Iranian Navy Intercepts and Blocks a Washington “Spy Drone”

Nova News reported on April 2nd that “a US Navy aircraft has departed from the airspace of the Gulf of Oman after Iran issued a warning, warning of a possible entry into its borders by the US-operated aircraft. This was announced by the Iranian news agency “Tasnim”, defining the aircraft a “spy drone”. According to the Iranian Navy’s Public Relations Department, a Lockheed EP-3E reconnaissance aircraft of the US Navy was about to enter Iranian airspace over the Sea of ​​Oman when Iranian naval forces issued a warning and blocked “unauthorized entry”. The US aircraft then left and returned to international routes. The episode comes amid tensions between Iran, Israel and the United States, with the latter allegedly making preparations for a possible pre-emptive strike on Iranian nuclear sites, particularly after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) discovered particles of 83,7 percent enriched uranium, very close to the critical level of 90 percent needed to make a nuclear bomb.”

3. Israel: AG Ends Probe Into Ex-Mossad Chief Over Packer Gift

The Australian Jewish News published this article on April 2nd saying that “Israel’s Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara earlier this month announced the closure of a police probe into former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen for allegedly accepting an illicit gift worth $20,000 from Australian billionaire businessman James Packer. A statement attributed to Baharav-Miara said the move came at the recommendation of State Attorney Amit Aisman and Maj. Gen. Yigal Ben Shalom, head of the police’s Investigations and Intelligence Division. Cohen has acknowledged receiving the money from Packer in 2016 for his daughter’s wedding, while he headed the intelligence agency. The police probe was revealed several months after his tenure as spymaster ended in June 2021. He has previously said he accepted the funds after consulting Mossad’s legal adviser, and said he was committed to returning them, which he reportedly did last April. The statement from Baharav-Miara said the police probe confirmed that the spy organisation’s then-legal adviser gave Cohen permission to accept the gift from Packer. Even though Cohen received the green light, the matter could have been seen as a potential breach of trust by a public servant, according to the statement. However, the statute of limitations was already up by the summer of 2021, “around the time the relevant information reached law enforcement authorities and before the preliminary probe had begun”, the statement added.”

4. Russia: Influential Russian Military Blogger Is Killed in St. Petersburg Bombing

On April 2nd the New York Times reported that “in influential Russian military blogger who called for an escalation of the war in Ukraine was killed when a bomb exploded in a cafe in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Sunday, in what appeared to be one of the most high-profile attacks on a supporter of Moscow’s invasion. The blogger, Maksim Fomin, who was more popularly known as Vladlen Tatarsky, was giving a public talk in the center of Russia’s second-largest city when the explosion ripped through Street Food Bar #1 Cafe, the Russian Interior Ministry and investigative authorities said. Videos posted on social media showed Mr. Tatarsky receiving a small statue in his likeness onstage shortly before the explosion. An independent local news outlet, Fontanka, cited a witness as saying the blogger had received the statue as a gift from a woman who introduced herself as a sculptor called Nastya. Another witness said Mr. Tatarsky had asked the woman to bring the statue to him, after she said she had been told she could not take it inside because of bombing fears, according to the Russian tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda. About 100 people had gathered at the cafe to listen to him speak about his experience as a military blogger, Fontanka said. At least 25 other people were injured in the explosion, with 19 of them hospitalized, according to the city’s governor, Aleksandr Beglov. Mr. Tatarsky represented a radical wing of pro-invasion bloggers and activists who backed Moscow’s war but also criticized what they saw as the flaws in the Russian Army. His death was the most high-profile attack on a prominent war supporter inside Russia since August, when a car bomb killed Daria Dugina, the daughter of an ultranationalist Russian supporter of President Vladimir V. Putin’s. United States intelligence officials later said they believed the attack had been authorized by parts of the Ukrainian government, which denied any involvement.”

5. Ukrainian SBU Detained GRU Agent in Dnipropetrovsk

On April 4th Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) announced that they “detained a Russian agent who “hunted” for Ukrainian aviation in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. The Counter-intelligence Service of the Security Service detained an agent of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Federation (better known as GRU) during a special operation in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. The attacker collected intelligence on the locations and movements of the Defence Forces in the region. First of all, the enemy was interested in the locations and modes of operation of Ukrainian military aircraft in the region. In particular, the agent recorded the regularity of departures, the number of aircraft, etc. In addition, he transmitted information to the aggressor about the consequences of enemy air attacks on the city. The occupiers planned to use this information to prepare and carry out massive airstrikes on the territory of the region. According to the investigation, the perpetrator turned out to be a local resident who was remotely involved in secret cooperation by the military intelligence of the Russian Federation. For recruitment, the enemy used one of the pro-Russian Telegram channels, where the figure actively distributed his “posts” in support of the invaders. He sent the received information to the GRU through a messenger in the form of electronic coordinates and media files with a link to the area. During the search of the suspect’s place of residence, a mobile phone was found, which he used to communicate with the aggressor.”

6. Podcast: Spycraft 101: The Spy Who Divided the CIA with Howard Blum

On April 5th Spycraft 101 published a new podcast episode. As per its description, “an unrecognizable corpse recovered from the Chesapeake Bay on October 1st, 1978 was identified as John Paisley, a senior CIA official who had disappeared the week before. Paisley joined the CIA in the early 1950s and rose steadily as an analyst focusing on Soviet affairs. By the mid-1970s he was assigned to work on the National Intelligence Estimate regarding Soviet military capabilities. Paisley’s sloop, the Brillig, had ran aground on September 25th, with no one onboard. When a park ranger investigated the seemingly abandoned boat, he discovered unfired 9mm cartridges rolling around on the deck. Below decks in the main cabin he found classified documents related to Soviet ballistic missiles scattered about, and a highly sophisticated burst transmitter radio mounted on a shelf. Days later, the body recovered by the Coast Guard after a report from local fishermen was eventually identified as Paisley, and the cause of death was listed as suicide. But there were enormous gaps and holes in the official story, which would not be answered satisfactorily for decades to come. The corpse had been found wrapped in two dive belts weighing 19lbs. There was a bullet hole behind the left ear, but Paisley had been right-handed. Fingerprint and blood-type identification were inconclusive because of the deteriorated condition of the body. The corpse was described as five feet seven inches tall, 144lbs, and with a 32-inch waist. But Paisley had been five feet ten inches tall, 170lbs, and wore 36-inch briefs. These questions, and many others regarding Paisley’s work with the CIA eventually led a legendary but disgraced retired case officer named Tennant “Pete” Bagley to spend years on his own trying to put together the story of what happened to Paisley that night on the Chesapeake, and whether anyone else was involved. These questions finally took him to a fateful meeting at a Moscow cemetery more than twenty-five years after the Brillig ran aground. For episode 78 of the Spycraft 101 podcast I spoke with Howard Blum, author of The Spy Who Knew Too Much, a new book documenting Pete Bagley’s quest to uncover the truth about John Paisley.”

7. Ajlan & Bros Looks to Supply Russian Electronic Warfare Tools to Saudi Arabian Intelligence

On April 6th Intelligence Online reported that “Sepha, founded by Saudi conglomerate Ajlan & Bros to do business with the Russian defence industry, is putting together a catalogue of Russian-built electronic warfare tools, which it is hoping to supply to the Saudi intelligence services.”

8. Turkish Intelligence Point Man for Overseas Operations is Plotting to Help Erdogan Stay in Power

Nordic Monitor published this article on April 5th saying that “Ahmet Cemalettin Çelik, the number two at Turkish intelligence agency MIT, has been working to keep his boss, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in power as the country heads towards elections in May. Çelik, a long-time Erdogan loyalist and political appointee, had in the past played critical roles in aiding and abetting unlawful practices that shored up Erdogan’s power during critical periods. He went after police officers who had uncovered Erdogan’s illegal activities involving a number of suspects, including a one-time al-Qaeda financier, and made sure they were punished for simply doing their jobs. Abusing his position overseeing electronic surveillance and signal intelligence, he executed illegal plots to eavesdrop on Erdogan opponents and fabricated evidence to falsely accuse them as well as leaking information to influence the political debate. Çelik oversaw intelligence operations in foreign countries, especially in Europe and North Africa, and positioned himself as the key intel official who sits in the room with Europeans and Americans to sort out issues that would help promote Erdogan. Be it talks with Sweden and Finland on their NATO membership prospects or resolving outstanding issues with White House officials, Erdogan consistently embedded him in Turkish delegations. Not much is known about his background, but it is clear that Erdogan trusts him implicitly, to the extent that Çelik has his eyes and ears in sensitive talks from which Erdogan hopes to derive political and personal benefit, sometimes at the expense of Turkey’s national interests.”

9. APT Group Targeting Organisations in Palestinian Territories, Researchers Say

The Record reported on April 4th that “a state-backed group believed to be operating out of the Palestinian territories targeted local organizations in a campaign that began in September 2022 and lasted until at least February 2023. Researchers from Symantec have been tracking a cyber-espionage group they call “Mantis” but is also referred to as “Arid Viper.” The group has been active since at least 2014 and has been known to target organizations in Israel and several other Middle Eastern countries. Brigid O Gorman, a senior intelligence analyst with Symantec’s Threat Hunter Team, told Recorded Future News that the campaign did not target human rights organizations or government bodies but could not offer more information about who the victims were. “This attack campaign had all the hallmarks of cyber-espionage activity. Mantis is known to have launched cyber-espionage campaigns in the past, and in this campaign we see them deploying a custom data exfiltration tool to exfiltrate data from victim networks, alongside the updated versions of their custom Arid Gopher and Micropsia backdoors, so all signs point towards this being espionage activity,” she said. O Gorman said that while it might be unusual to see a Palestinian-based group go after Palestinian targets, it isn’t unprecedented and APT groups often target victims in their own countries. “This targeting is not unprecedented for Mantis itself and Symantec previously uncovered attacks against individuals located in the Palestinian territories during 2017,” she said. The group “is continuing to mount attacks, deploying a refreshed toolset and going to great lengths to maintain a persistent presence on targeted networks,” the researchers said in a report released Tuesday. “The group is known for employing spear-phishing emails and fake social media profiles to lure targets into installing malware on their devices,” they wrote. “While other vendors have linked the group to Hamas, Symantec cannot make a definitive attribution to any Palestinian organization.” The group has in the past targeted a wide range of organizations connected to governments, militaries and companies in the financial, media, education and energy sectors.”

10. Chinese Spy Balloon Gathered Intelligence from Sensitive U.S. Military Sites, Despite U.S. Efforts to Block it

NBC News reported on April 3rd that “the Chinese spy balloon that flew across the U.S. was able to gather intelligence from several sensitive American military sites, despite the Biden administration’s efforts to block it from doing so, according to two current senior U.S. officials and one former senior administration official. China was able to control the balloon so it could make multiple passes over some of the sites (at times flying figure-eight formations) and transmit the information it collected back to Beijing in real time, the three officials said. The intelligence China collected was mostly from electronic signals, which can be picked up from weapons systems or include communications from base personnel, rather than images, the officials said. The three officials said China could have gathered much more intelligence from sensitive sites if not for the administration’s efforts to move around potential targets and obscure the balloon’s ability to pick up their electronic signals by stopping them from broadcasting or emitting signals.”

11. Russia: FSB Public Council Meeting Announcement

On April 5th Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) announced that “on April 5, 2023, a regular meeting of the Public Council under the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation was held. Having familiarised themselves with the information of the Department of Military Counter-intelligence of the FSB of Russia on public events related to the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Main Directorate of Counter-intelligence “Smersh” of the People’s Commissariat of Defence of the USSR (April 19, 1943), the members of the Council decided to provide them with comprehensive information support. It was also decided to give priority attention in 2023 to measures to popularise the activities of military counterintelligence agencies in Russian society. Having discussed the participation of the Public Council in the work of the FSB of Russia to perpetuate the memory of the dead security officers, the members of the Council decided to join the work of the FSB of Russia related to the installation of memorial structures dedicated to security officers who died in the line of duty and military duty. “The Council knows firsthand about the heroism of security officers who fulfilled their official duty to the end in order to protect the calm and peaceful life of Russian citizens,” said V. N. Titov, Chairman of the Public Council under the FSB of Russia. — We constantly and comprehensively support the families of the fallen heroes, but we consider it equally important to perpetuate the memory of those who sacrificed their lives for the safety of all Russians. This is necessary not only for their relatives, it is important for us, and our children, and even grandchildren.” Also, as part of improving joint work with security agencies related to the patriotic education of the younger generation, the Council decided to support the FSB of Russia in the re-exposition of the Historical Demonstration Hall of the FSB of Russia. By order of the FSB of Russia, Zvyagintsev Alexander Grigoryevich, Deputy Director for International Cooperation of the Institute of State and Law of the Russian Academy of Sciences, was included in the Council.”

12. Former United States CIA Officer Jason Hanson Publishes New Videos

Throughout this week former US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer Jason Hanson published the following videos: 1) Ex-CIA Reacts to a Woman Who Fights Off an Attacker Inside a Gym in Florida, 2) Here’s One of My Favorite Gold Coins and Why It’s a Must-have Item for Me, 3) This Tactical Tomahawk Could Put Any Attacker in Trouble.

13. United Kingdom Says Its Offensive Cyber Operations are ‘Accountable, Precise, and Calibrated’

On April 4th The Record reported that “as the role of cyber operations in international statecraft continues to grow, the United Kingdom’s National Cyber Force (NCF) has published a paper arguing that its activities are fundamentally different from those of its adversaries. In contrast to the “reckless” cyberattacks which U.K. says Russia and China have engaged in — namely the destructive NotPetya and Microsoft Exchange operations — Britain’s offensive hacking activities are designed to be “accountable,” “precise,” and “calibrated,” the NCF explained. In the paper published on Tuesday, offering the most detailed explanation of Britain’s offensive cyber capability to date, the agency said it was “right that we enable greater transparency and engage with the public more widely than has been done before,” and said doing so was a crucial part of “demonstrating the UK’s commitment to being a responsible and democratic cyber power.” As part of this public engagement, the document was launched following an event at Dartmouth House in London’s Mayfair on Monday morning where the British intelligence and security agency GCHQ hosted a number of academics specializing in cyber conflict research, although journalists were not invited. Attendees who spoke to The Record on the condition of anonymity said the document was a positive contribution towards global discussions about cyber conflict, although they regretted that there were no specific examples in the paper of the NCF’s activities and the “strong ethical component” involved in operational planning. The NCF’s document stated its work is covert “and we therefore do not reveal details of individual operations.” “Indeed the intent is sometimes that adversaries do not realise that the effects they are experiencing are the result of a cyber operation.” The document comes out as the NCF for the first time publicly avows its new chief, James Babbage, who has been an intelligence officer at GCHQ for nearly 30 years.”

14. France: Minutiae of DGSE’s Last Ditch Operation in Minsk

On April 3rd Intelligence Online reported that “Intelligence Online has the details of DGSE director Bernard Emié’s 24 March trip to Minsk, during which the French intelligence service attempted to act as a mediator with Alexander Lukashenko. Vladimir Putin confirmed the next day that Belarus had agreed to deploy tactical nuclear weapons on its soil, though a week later Lukashenko called for a truce between Moscow and Kyiv.”

15. A Married Couple was Detained in the Russian Federation for “Espionage for Ukraine”

On April 5th the MIL-in-Ukraine reported that “the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation detained a married couple for “espionage in favor of Ukraine” at the defense industry enterprise in Nizhny Tagil. Russian media report that both were arrested on charges of treason. The couple allegedly “provided the special services of Ukraine for a monetary reward with information of a military and technical nature that can be used against the Russian army.” “Items of espionage activity” were seized during the search of the suspect’s place of residence. The special service did not specify which items those were. Russian publications also write that the detainees admitted to handing over the drawings. When asked by law enforcement officers about what information she provided to a foreign party, the girl replied, “Drawings.” The detainee specified that she and her husband received about 100,000 rubles for the provided information. Previously, Evan Gershkovich, The Wall Street Journal journalist, was arrested on suspicion of espionage in Russia. Shortly before his detention, he visited Nizhny Tagil. The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation claimed that the journalist was trying to obtain classified information on behalf of the American government and collected materials about the activities of one of the enterprises of the defense industry. Nizhny Tagil, in particular, is home to the Uralvagonzavod defense enterprise.”

16. The First CIA Operative to Die in the Line of Duty Was Killed by Tibetans

The We Are The Mighty published this article on April 4th saying that “the United States didn’t have a real intelligence agency until the National Security Act of September 1947 created the Central Intelligence Agency. The U.S. created the ad hoc Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during World War II, which performed most of the missions of an intelligence service, but the 1947 law put the service into permanent action. Though the OSS had lost officers during World War II, it wasn’t until 1950 that the CIA first lost one of their own. CIA Officer Douglas Mackiernan died at the hands of what we might think of today as a very unlikely adversary: Tibetans. Mackiernan’s life looked like one that anyone would think would make for an excellent spy story. He was born in Mexico to a father who was a lifelong explorer. He spoke four languages and spent his early years as a radio operator and adventurer in his own right. Mackiernan dropped out of MIT to serve the Army Air Forces during World War II, where he eventually became a cryptographer in China. By 1947, he was doing espionage work for the newly-created CIA in what was then called the Second East Turkestan Republic, essentially an Asian satellite state of the Soviet Union. It’s located in what is today the Xinjiang Province of China. The rest of the province at the time was under the control of the Republic of China. Mackiernan was posted to the U.S. Consulate in the provincial capital of Ürümqi as a cover for his intelligence work there.”

17. Podcast: Shawn Ryan Show: Andrew Bustamante — CIA Spy / U.S. vs China — The New Cold War (Part 2)

Following last week’s story #17, on April 3rd the Shawn Ryan Show published the second part of this podcast. As per its description, “Andrew Bustamante is back in Part Two of this two-part series to discuss the “sleeping dragon,” China. Bustamante tells us how a 5,000 year old country like China moves slowly and quietly with little known initiatives like the “Belt Way,” and how he believes a move to take Taiwan is an imminent threat. We dive deep into the recent Spy Balloon phenomenon over US airspace and growing Chinese influence and capability across the globe through social media and shadow propaganda. We wrap up with a realistic look at the severity of different types of threats like EMPs and China’s financial stakes on land and resources here at home.”

18. Jordanian Intelligence Searches for Encrypted Communications Provider

Intelligence Online published this article on April 4th saying that “as it continues to take measures to increase cooperation between its intelligence and security services, Amman is looking for a provider to secure its communications.”

19. New Zealand Spy Chiefs Warn of ‘Increasingly Aggressive’ Foreign Interference

The Guardian published this article on April 6th stating that “New Zealand’s intelligence bosses have warned of “increasingly aggressive activity” in the country by people they believe are spies for foreign states. The annual report by the Security Intelligence Service (SIS), published this week, said unnamed states are making “enduring and persistent” efforts to collect intelligence against New Zealand’s government, target those with access to sensitive information, and interfere in all spheres of the country’s public life. Agents from one foreign government have cultivated “a range of relationships of significant concern”, the report said. It did not name the countries accused, but analysts said New Zealand’s strategic importance in the Pacific, as well as growing global awareness of its politics, had attracted the ire of authoritarian leaders such as China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin. “Countries aggressively interfere in a liberal democracy because they’re extremely insecure, very fragile authoritarian regimes,” said Robert Patman, a professor at the University of Otago who specialises in international relations. The former prime minister Jacinda Ardern — a charismatic figure who was popular abroad — represented a particular threat, he added.”

20. Former Top Mossad Agent on the Modus Operandi of Iran’s Intelligence

Following last week’s story #47, on April 5th eKathimerini reported that “the recent arrests of Pakistani nationals with intentions of attacking Israeli targets on Greek soil has brought to the fore a multifaceted spy game. After expressing gratitude to his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office praised the effectiveness of the Greek intelligence service (EΥP) and its cooperation with Mossad, Kathimerini contacted Mossad’s former head of the International Liaison and Operational Division, Haim Tomer, the man who for many years organized the Israeli service’s actions abroad. Having served as chief of the service’s counterterrorism division, Tomer explains the methods of action of the Iranian intelligence services allegedly behind attempts to set up terrorist cells.”

21. Australian Spy Organisation Adds to Concerns about TikTok Data Collection

Following week 10 stories #37, #54, #71, and #80, week 11 stories #41 and #93, and week 12 story #31, on April 7th PerthNow reported that “Australia’s top spy agency has added to growing concerns about a popular social media app, and its collection of users’ personal data. State governments across the nation are issuing TikTok bans on official work devices as concerns about data safety increase worldwide. The app’s Australian general manager Lee Hunter recently told The Project that users should feel “safe” on TikTok, and claimed China had no way of accessing data — despite the site’s parent company operating out of China. However, national intelligence organisation Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) recently released advice about the app, warning the general public not to use it on a device that can access other information. “Do not use it on a phone that can access any official information, for example, any workplace communication (email clients, MS Teams),” the ASD warned in advice shared by the Tasmanian government.”

22. Seymour Hersh: The Nord Stream Ghost Ship

Following week 6 story #82, week 7 story #85, and week 12 story #16, on April 5th Seymour Hersh published a new investigative article stating that “America’s Central Intelligence Agency is constantly running covert operations around the world, and all must have a cover story in case things go badly, as they often do. It is just as important to have an explanation when things go well, as they did in the Baltic Sea last fall. Within weeks of my report that Joe Biden ordered the destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines, the agency produced a cover story and found willing takers in the New York Times and two major German publications. By creating a story of deep sea divers and a crew who did not exist, the agency was following protocol, and the story would have been part of the first days of secret planning to destroy the pipelines. The essential element was a mythical yacht ironically named the Andromeda — after the beautiful daughter of a mythical king who was chained to a rock, naked. The cover story was shared with and supported by the BND, Germany’s federal intelligence service.”

23. United States: How a Navy ‘Double Agent’ Officer Helped Catch Soviet Spies

SOFREP published this historical article on April 7th saying that “on a hot afternoon on the 20th of May 1978, special agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) based in New York arrested three Soviets near a major crossroad in New Jersey after catching the gentlemen picking up classified documents. An arrest that involved months of meticulous planning, over a year of cautious surveillance, and hiring the perfect double agent to get the job done, Operation Lemonade has been one of the most successful and significant FBI operations to uncover the Soviet Union’s infamous Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti (KGB) spies that have been infesting the US soil since the onset of the Cold War. Straight out from the intelligence agency’s archive files, here’s how a US Navy lieutenant duped the Soviets and helped apprehend the first-ever KGB spies tried for espionage in America.”

24. Video: WIRED — Former CIA Chief of Disguise Answers Spy Questions From Twitter

On April 4th WIRED published this video. As per its description, “Jonna Mendez, former CIA Chief of Disguise, answers the internet’s burning questions about spying. How many CIA assets are in Ukraine right now? Do spies get acting lessons? How do spies get recruited? Do spies get to choose their own code names? Jonna answers all these questions and much more!”

25. Brazil Suspected of Being Systematically Used to Train Russian Spies, says Federal Police

BNN reported on April 7th that “the three cases of alleged Russian spies operating around the world with Brazilian identities have raised the alarm at the Brazilian Federal Police (PF) since 2022, leading to suspicions that the country is being systematically used to form illegal agents by the Russian government. Serguei Tcherkasov, arrested in the Netherlands and sent to Brazil in May, Mikhail Mikushin, arrested in Norway in October, and the alleged spy identified by Greek authorities by the surname Chmirev, used Brazilian identities to travel the world working for Russian intelligence services, according to investigations opened by countries. By falsifying documents, they became Viktor Muller Ferreira, José Assis Giammaria, and Gehard Daniel Campos Wittich. Investigators believe that the ease of obtaining a birth certificate in Brazil and subsequently other documents, eventually leading to a passport, is attractive to spy agencies. In addition, the good reception of the Brazilian passport worldwide is cited as an important factor in the increase in the number of cases of illegal spies whose identities have been “heated” in Brazil. As in the case of Tcherkasov, the PF’s intelligence sector exchanged information with authorities from other countries and the United States at the time of the arrests. The Russian allegedly obtained his documents by corrupting a notary agent, and their relationship is being investigated in the inquiry into money laundering and corruption. As reported by Folha, the PF tracked money transactions received by the alleged spy and reached out to members of the Russian government based in Brazil. To do so, investigators cross-referenced images from the internal circuit of a bank agency in Rio and records of a person who visited the Russian in prison. Two men identified as Aleksei Matveev and Ivan Chetverikov, suspected of belonging to the Russian consulate in the country and depositing money for Tcherkasov, are mentioned by the PF. The emergence of these illegal spies has moved intelligence agencies worldwide. Folha has learned that American authorities reported to the Brazilian authorities that this is the largest case of spies known as “illegals” since 2010 when the FBI, the US Federal Police, launched the Ghost Stories operation against ten Russian spies who were part of a network operating in various areas of the country.”

26. Ukraine’s SBU Exposed 15 Companies Covertly Working for the FSB

On April 5th Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) announced that they “exposed 15 companies in Kyiv region that worked for the traitor Sivkovich and the FSB. It has been established that the work of these enterprises is controlled by the former Deputy Secretary of the National Security Council Volodymyr Sivkovich (Володимир Сівкович), who is suspected of treason and espionage. According to the investigation, it is he who supervises the activities of the so-called “political office” in Moscow, which was organized at the behest of the FSB. The task of this “office” is to carry out intelligence and subversive activities against Ukraine, including coordinating the work of agent networks in the frontline areas of our country. Sivkovych used companies under his control in Kyiv to cover up criminal activities and their financing. These enterprises carry out their activities in the spheres of trade, finance and transport, and also provide real estate services. The company directed its income from commercial activities to support the aggressor country and its henchmen. Weapons, documents and other materials with evidence of Sivkovych’s illegal activities were found during searches at the addresses of enterprises. As part of the criminal proceedings, investigative actions are ongoing to establish all the circumstances of the crime and bring the culprits to justice.”

27. Spy Way of Life: The Double Drummer in Canberra, Australia

On April 7th Intelligence Online published this week’s Spy Way of Life selection which is “The Double Drummer, where to spy a spy in the land down under” in Australia. As per the article, “this week, Intelligence Online sits down for a pint at the Double Drummer, a Canberra restaurant and café where local intelligence officers relax between high-level meetings.”

28. Russian FSB Detained 2 SBU Agents in Kherson

On April 7th Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) issued this press statement saying that “the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation detained an agent of the Ukrainian intelligence services and a person acting on his instructions, who collected information about the locations and number of units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in the Kherson region. Data on the routes of movement and types of military equipment and weapons used in the NMD with reference to maps of the area and geographic coordinates were sent to the personnel of the Security Service of Ukraine via internet messengers. The information received was used by the SBU to transfer it to representatives of the paramilitary formations of Ukraine in order to correct artillery and missile and bomb attacks on the positions of the Russian Armed Forces. With regard to the detained citizens of Ukraine, criminal cases were initiated under Art. 276 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Espionage”), a measure of restraint in the form of detention was chosen. The sanction of the article provides for punishment of up to 20 years in prison.” Later on, TASS reported that “Ukrainian citizens detained in the Kherson Region on espionage charges have confessed to passing information to Ukrainian special services about the deployment and movement of the Russian troops, according to a video recording of their interrogation released on Friday by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB). “I sent data on the territory of Chernobayev airport, where there were several deployment sites of the Russian armed forces,” one of the detainees confessed. At another point near the airport was a gas station where military equipment was parked. The man also passed this information to his handler. According to him, the curator was a woman who introduced herself as a member of one of the military units. Another detainee said that he twice sent a video with the location of military equipment to an acquaintance from the Ukrainian Security Service.”

29. Iran: Amid Tensions with Israel, IRGC Media Report Drone Strike at Military Complex

Amwaj Media reported on April 6th that “Iranian state media have claimed the foiling of a drone attack on a military complex in the central city of Isfahan. However, officials have either denied or questioned the report. Iran blamed a similar incident in January on Israel, which has in recent days also been accused of carrying out several airstrikes in Syria, killing two Iranian “military advisors.” Tasnim News Agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Apr. 5 reported on a “foiled” attack by a small drone on a defense ministry-run military complex in Isfahan the night before. The news agency said the miniature Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) targeting Amir Al-Momenin Industries was intercepted by defense systems, adding that “no damage was caused.” Of note, the allegedly targeted complex has been under US sanctions since 2017 over its claimed involvement in producing ballistic missiles.”

30. China’s Spy Games: ‘Non-traditional’ Espionage Network Uses Students, Scribes, Industrialists Abroad

On April 7th News 18 reported that “the 21st century started China’s journey towards becoming an economic superpower with a concentration of global manufacturing in the country. By 2010, it replaced the US from the leadership position. China had arrived, it was part of the global economy. The world believed that 21st-century China, which was now a global manufacturing hub, will be more responsive and open to the international system. China’s soft power initiatives like Confucius Institutes and sporting extravaganzas like the 2008 Beijing Olympics were accepted, with a belief in the country’s potential. But 22 years after its dream journey, China is back to the days of Chairman Mao under its current president Xi Jinping. And those very soft power initiatives are believed to have been turned into another layer of its global espionage operation as alleged by a number of many security agencies.”

31. Latvia’s State Security Service: Keep an Eye Open for Spies

LSM reported on April 5th that “the VDD is one of three national security services in Latvia. The others are the Constitution Protection Bureau (SAB) and the Defense Intelligence and Security Service (MIDD). The SAB has already reported on its 2022 activities, whereas the MIDD’s report is not made publicly available. “The war in Ukraine has changed the architecture of world security and left a lasting impact on Latvian society as well. It has also introduced significant changes in the daily operation of the service, making it necessary to expand and strengthen countermeasures against the threat posed by the aggressor Russia,” said head of the VDD Normunds Mežviets in an introduction to the 2022 report. The 70-page report includes information on the main areas of activity of the VDD: counter-intelligence, protection of state secrets, protection of the constitutional system, protection of the information space, economic security, anti-terrorism, pre-trial investigation and protection of high state officials.” You can find the mentioned report in VDD’s website here.

32. Ukrainian SBU Detained Female FSB Agent in Donetsk

On April 7th Ukraine’s SBU reported that they “detained a Russian agent who corrected an enemy missile attack on a school in Donetsk region. The attacker collected intelligence for the occupiers about the bases and routes of the movement of the Defence Forces in the districts of Kramatorsk, Kostyantynivka and Toretsk. In addition, she gave the aggressor the coordinates of local schools and kindergartens. It was on her “tip-off” that the Rashists launched a rocket attack on one of the educational institutions in August of last year. As a result of the Russian air attack, the building of the local school was destroyed. After enemy shelling, the agent went to the scene and recorded the consequences, which she then “reported” to the Russian intelligence service. According to the investigation, the suspect was a resident of a Ukrainian city near the front, who was recruited by the FSB after the start of a full-scale invasion. During the execution of criminal tasks, the suspect transmitted the location of Ukrainian sites to the enemy through a messenger in the form of electronic coordinates or photographs linked to the area. In case of capture of the region, the enemy promised his accomplice a “position” in the ranks of the local occupation administration. During the search of the perpetrator’s place of residence, mobile phones were found, which she used to communicate with the aggressor, in particular to transmit photos of Ukrainian sites.”

33. Ukraine War Plans Leak Prompts Pentagon Investigation

The New York Times published this article on April 6th saying that “classified war documents detailing secret American and NATO plans for building up the Ukrainian military ahead of a planned offensive against Russian troops were posted this week on social media channels, senior Biden administration officials said. The Pentagon is investigating who may have been behind the leak of the documents, which appeared on Twitter and on Telegram, a platform with more than half a billion users that is widely available in Russia. Military analysts said the documents appear to have been modified in certain parts from their original format, overstating American estimates of Ukrainian war dead and understating estimates of Russian troops killed. The modifications could point to an effort of disinformation by Moscow, the analysts said. But the disclosures in the original documents, which appear as photographs of charts of anticipated weapons deliveries, troop and battalion strengths, and other plans, represent a significant breach of American intelligence in the effort to aid Ukraine. Biden officials were working to get them deleted but had not, as of Thursday evening, succeeded.” Vice reported about this on April 7th that “according to Aric Toler, a researcher at Bellingcat, an early version of the leak appeared on 4chan on April 5. This leak contained three documents and isn’t the original source. Toler told Motherboard he found a version of the leak on an “Minecraft Discord server” that predates what’s on 4chan. The version the gaming discussion group contained 10 images, including maps Kharkiv and Kherson as well as an additional page detailing equipment that Toler hasn’t seen elsewhere. Motherboard confirmed the leak by looking at the Discord server. In the 4chan leak, the poster appears to be sharing printed out copies of physical documents that have creases and folds in them.” You can find a copy of those documents in The Grayzone.

34. Afghanistan: Sirajuddin Haqqani Counts on Pakistani Intelligence to Hold His Own Against Taliban Old Guard

Intelligence Online reported on April 7th that “the Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada is trying to loosen his interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani’s grip on security, but the leader of the Haqqani Network has the Pakistani army and intelligence services to turn to for support. In return, Islamabad wants help to stop the unrest in Afghanistan from passing across the border.”

35. Podcast: Everyday Espionage: The Secret to Becoming Popular

On April 4th Andrew Bustamante published this new episode of Everyday Espionage. As per its description, “having a healthy social life is a constant balancing act between being unknown and being known. But in business and career, being ‘unknown’ can ruin you; it can kill your career ambitions and end your business before they ever even start. In this episode, Andrew explains a little-known HACK he learned at CIA to grow popularity, reputation, and credibility even among people who have never met you! If you know the feeling of hitting a glass ceiling, getting stuck in a professional rut, or being ‘blocked’ from your personal goals, you don’t want to miss this conversation…”

36. Separating OSINT from the Secret World Strengthens Both

The Cipher Brief published this article on April 3rd saying that “the explosive growth in publicly available information (PAI) spawned by the revolution in information technology has led a growing number of authoritative thinkers to say the time has come to establish a new agency dedicated solely to the burgeoning craft of open source intelligence (OSINT). With the world increasingly awash in mystery-illuminating PIA, they argue that the Intelligence Community’s imperative for secrecy, born of necessities of the Cold War, is no longer dominant, and entangling OSINT within government organizations with deep-seated cultures of secrecy prevents it from realizing its full potential and compromises its key advantages of speed and convenience of use. These arguments are serious and compelling. In today’s world, separating OSINT from secret intelligence makes good sense, and doing so would reinvigorate both. For democracies, OSINT’s coming of age is cause for celebration because of the tremendous competitive advantage it offers free societies in their struggle against the despotic regimes and violent movements that threaten us. Yes, police states also skillfully use many of OSINT’s new tools, but democracies are far better equipped to make best use of them because our less-fettered information flows and dynamic creative populations better wire us to dominate in this domain. Openness is hardly a strong suit of dictatorships.”

37. Pakistan: The Gulzar Imam Story: ISI Acknowledges Today What Everyone Else Knew Last Year

India Narrative published this story on April 7th saying that “Pakistani spy agency ISI has finally revealed after months of speculation what was known all along — that Gulzar Imam, founder of the Baloch National Army (BNA), is under Pakistan’s arrest. However, it hid the information that people wanted confirmation about — how and where was Imam arrested and with whose operational support. On Friday, the spy agency’s public relations wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), published a media statement on its website: “In a high profile and a successful Intelligence Operation, Lead Intelligence Agency successfully apprehended a High Value Target (HVT) Gulzar Imam alias Shambay. He has been a hardcore militant as well as founder and leader of the banned outfit Baloch National Army (BNA) which came into being after amalgamation of Baloch Republican Army (BRA) and United Baloch Army (UBA). BNA had been responsible for dozens of violent terrorist attacks in Pakistan including attacks on Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) Installations in Panjgur and Noshki”. That Imam was in Pakistani custody was known since September 2022. It was widely known among Baloch circles and Pakistani journalists that Imam had been trapped and arrested with help from a friendly Muslim country in Europe. What was not known was how and where he was arrested.”

38. Ukraine’s SBU Detained Russian Agent in Zaporizhia

On April 6th Ukraine’s SBU stated that they “detained an enemy informer who recorded the consequences of a Russian missile attack on a high-rise building in Zaporizhia. According to SBU counter-intelligence data, the attacker was gathering information for the occupiers about the consequences of Russian missile attacks on civilian infrastructure in Zaporizhzhia. It was established that it was he who recorded and sent to the enemy a photo of the destroyed apartment building, which the invaders attacked on March 22 of this year. The occupiers needed such information to prepare for new shelling of the region. According to the investigation, the enemy informant turned out to be a local employee of the IT sphere, whom the Russian intelligence service remotely engaged in secret cooperation. He came into the aggressor’s field of vision due to the distribution of posts in social networks in support of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation. For further communication with the occupiers, he used the Telegram messenger, and transmitted the collected information in the form of photo and video materials of buildings with a description of the surrounding area. During searches of the person’s residence, a mobile phone with evidence of correspondence with the enemy was found.”

39. France Mulls US-style Foreign Agents Register after Similar UK Effort

Intelligence Online reported on April 5th that “France’s Secretary General of Defence and National Security wants to introduce stricter controls of “amateur” lobbyists working informally for foreign interests.”

40. United States: Starbucks Hired Former CIA Agent in Middle of Union-busting Campaign

Morning Star Online reported this week that “Starbucks has hired a former CIA/State Department officer and Pinkerton detective agency worker as the manager of Global Intelligence for retail operations, it was reported today. According to her Linked-In profile, Amanda Stanfill was recruited by the coffee giant in March as it was carrying out an aggressive union-busting campaign in its stores. She lists the CIA, Pinkerton and the US State Department among her previous employers and states “cross-functional intelligence collection efforts” among her responsibilities. Pinkerton has a long history of union-busting since it was founded in Chicago in 1850, including spying and carrying out violent attacks on behalf of bosses. Starbucks has waged a bitter anti-union campaign targeting workers who have led organising campaigns for dismissal and intimidating others. Around 200 stores have won union recognition since December, while the National Labour Relations Board has found hundreds of violations of labour law. And last year, the regulator found that a trade unionist who led strikes at an Amazon store in New York was illegally interrogated by a former FBI officer agent as a manager.”

41. Cyprus: Connections of the National Security Council with the Intelligence Agency

The Turkish Kıbrıs Postası reported on April 2nd that “it has been reported that the Greek Cypriot National Security Council will be an organ in connection with the Greek Cypriot Intelligence Organisation, which will develop a policy and present it to Christodoulides, his government and the Greek National Council. The Presidency of the National Security Council (MGK), which was announced by the President of the Greek Cypriot Administration Nikos Christodoulides at the Greek Cypriot National Council on March 30, will be composed of experts in connection with the Greek Cypriot Intelligence Organisation (KIP), and by developing a policy, to give Christodoulides, his government and the Greek National Council. It has been reported that there will be an organ to present what. He wrote that Fileleftheros Christodoulidis wanted to raise the KIP, which entered a period of rise and new applications during the Tasos Conis period, and which became stronger and made significant progress during the Kiriakos Kuros period, adding that “KIP president will be the National Security Advisor”. The newspaper reported that the current KIP President Kiriakos Kuros, who will assume the role of the General Director of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will continue his duty at the KIP until the National Security Council is formed. In the news, in which it is recorded that Christodoulidis had a name in mind of the President of the MGK, who would be his National Advisor and that he would personally announce when everything was ready, the political data, conjuncture, analysis and evaluation, coordination of the authorised bodies and the Greek Cypriot administration, together with the establishment and operation of the NSC. It was stated that the administration will close the long-standing gap in producing theses on national security issues.”

42. Poland Has Eye on Ukrainian Territory, Says Russian Spy Chief

The Newsmen reported on April 4th that “Poland’s military aid to Kiev is a secret ploy intended to accomplish the latter’s defeat so it can grab the lands it lost to the Soviet Union after the Second World War — which now form part of modern Ukraine, as per Russia’s top spy Sergey Naryshkin, media reports said. Once Kiev is ultimately defeated by Moscow, Poland could grab these lands, Naryshkin, the head of Russia’s external intelligence agency SVR, said during a visit to Minsk to meet Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, RT reported. “Seizing control of the western territories of modern Ukraine, the so-called Kresy (Polish for ‘borderlands’), is the coveted dream of the Polish nationalists. “The Polish government cannot simply drop this element of its national ideology,” he said, adding that Warsaw sees “the collapse of Ukrainian statehood after a military defeat as a condition for implementing this idea”. ‘Kresy’ is the name of certain territories that historically belonged to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth but came under control of then Tsarist Russia during the 18th century partitions, but its collapse after the Russian Revolution allowed Warsaw to regain independence.”

43. Ukrainian SBU Detained Female Russian Agent in Odessa

On April 6th Ukraine’s SBU reported that they “detained an enemy informer who created a Telegram channel to collect intelligence on the defence of Odessa. The attacker turned out to be a resident of Odesa, who secretly collected information about the locations and movements of the Defence Forces in the region. First of all, she was interested in the locations of fortified areas near the coast of Odesa. In order to collect classified information, the person involved created her own pro-Kremlin Telegram channel, which was subscribed to by several hundred “like-minded people”. On it, she urged her readers to take screenshots of electronic maps with the coordinates of Ukrainian military units and send them to her in private messages. The attacker planned to send the received information to the Russian occupiers. However, SBU officers gradually documented the criminal actions of the suspect and detained her. During the search of the detainee’s place of residence, mobile phones and computer equipment with evidence of subversive activities were found.”

44. United States: Federal Court Orders Forfeiture of $826,000 in Funds Used in Attempt to Export Dual-Use High Precision Jig Grinder to Russia

The FBI Counterintelligence Division issued this press release on April 5th saying that “an investigation into the attempted smuggling of a dual-use export-controlled item to Russia in violation of United States export laws and regulations has resulted in the forfeiture of approximately $826,000. U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery; Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Andrew Adams, Director of Task Force KleptoCapture; Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England; Special Agent in Charge Rashel D. Assouri of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, Boston; and Special Agent in Charge Robert Fuller of the FBI New Haven Division made the announcement. As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, beginning in 2018, operators of a Latvia-based corporation conspired with the operator of By Trade OU, an Estonia-based company, as well as individuals in Russia and a Russia-based company, to violate U.S. export laws and regulations and smuggle a jig grinder that was manufactured in Connecticut to Russia. A jig grinder is a high-precision grinding machine system that does not require a license to export to European Union countries, but does require a license for export and reexport to Russia because of its potential application in nuclear proliferation and defense programs. At no time did the defendants apply for, receive or possess a license of authorization from the U.S. Department of Commerce to export or reexport the jig grinder to Russia, as required by the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 and the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”), which restrict the export of items that could make a significant contribution to the military potential of other nations or that could be detrimental to U.S. foreign policy and national security. U.S. authorities, working with Latvian authorities, intercepted the jig grinder in Riga, Latvia, before it was to be shipped to Russia.”

45. 99 Spy Balloons: An Exploration of Disruptive Innovation on Budget

This article was published by the Modern War Institute on April 6th saying that “the Chinese spy balloon incident might no longer be gracing newspaper front pages or leading newscasts to the extent it did in the initial days after the balloon was spotted high in the sky over Montana. But even as it becomes yesterday’s news, it should inform discussions about strategic innovation today. Before being shot down after crossing the entire North American landmass, the balloon had been transmitting information back to Beijing in real time, providing detailed information on strategic military installations across the United States. On the bright side, though, at least that was all it did. Balloon reconnaissance is the first and oldest military use of aerostatics. Today, it is not out of the question that a balloon just like that one could carry a different payload over the continental United States — for instance, one that could take out half the West Coast’s power grid before North American Aerospace Defense Command even registered it as a threat. The notion of disruptive military innovation typically calls to mind a list of scientific developments bordering on fiction, like nth-generation fighter platforms with supporting autonomous drone swarms, quantum computing, or fully integrated sensor-shooter networks. This approach to disruptive innovation involves developing a weapon or system so advanced that an adversary cannot hope to defend against it. However, there is a cheaper approach to achieving that same effect, and balloons are a prime example. Aerostatics are an underappreciated form of disruptive innovation, but an especially noteworthy one because of their extremely high rate of return: major impact with a minimal price tag.”

46. Bomb Hidden Inside Decorative Figurine Kills Pro-Kremlin Military Blogger in Russia

Following this week’s story #4, Intel News reported on April 3rd that “a powerful explosion, likely caused by a bomb hidden inside a decorative figurine, has killed one of the most prominent pro-Kremlin bloggers as he was giving a public talk in downtown St. Petersburgh, Russia. The bomb killed Maxim Fomin, 40, who was known in online blogger circles under the pseudonym Vladlen Tatarsky. Born in eastern Ukraine, Fomin supported the pro-Russian secessionist movement in the Donbas. By 2021, when he obtained Russian citizenship, he had already made a name for himself as a pro-Kremlin military blogger on the Telegram social media platform. In 2022, when the Russian military invaded Ukraine again, Fomin used his Telegram channel to spread pro-Kremlin information among his nearly 600,000 followers. He quickly rose to prominence as a commentator on military matters on Russian state-owned television. He also authored several books espousing Russian nationalist views. Fomin’s online activism came to embody a new generation of Russian bloggers who use their reach among Russian Internet users to aggressively promote pro-Kremlin political views. On Sunday afternoon, Fomin was the main speaker at a pro-Kremlin event held in a St. Petersburg meeting hall, which is known as the Street Food Bar #1 Café. The downtown establishment used to belong to Yevgeny Prigozhin, one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest collaborators. Prigozhin is the alleged owner of the Wagner Group private military company. In 2019, Prigozhin is believed to have donated the property to a group of pro-Kremlin activists, who have since been using it to host nationalist meetings in downtown St. Petersburg. On Sunday afternoon, Fomin was the main speaker at an event held in the Street Food Bar #1 Café. The event had been organized by Cyber Front Z, an umbrella group of Russian nationalist bloggers, who refer to themselves on Telegram as a pro-Kremlin cyber army. At least 100 people were present at the event, according to reports. Shortly before the event began, an unknown woman tried to enter the facility carrying a large box. She told the event organizers at the entrance that the box contained a figurine, which she intended to present to Fomin as a gift. According to some reports, the event organizers attempted to prevent the woman from entering the venue with the box, for security reasons. However, Fomin himself gave the woman permission to enter the facility with the box. A few moments later, one of the event organizers presented Fomin with the figurine, which appeared to be the bust of a helmeted soldier that allegedly resembled Fomin. Minutes later, an explosion killed Fomin and injured at least 30 people inside the Street Food Bar #1 Café, most of whom were transported to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment. Subsequent footage from inside the meeting facility appeared to show extensive damage caused by the bombing.”

47. Google TAG: How We’re Protecting Users from Government-backed Attacks from North Korea

Google TAG published this article on April 5th saying that “as part of Threat Analysis Group (TAG)’s mission to counter serious threats to Google and our users, TAG has been tracking government-backed hacking activity tied to North Korea for over a decade. Today, as a follow up to Mandiant’s report on APT43, we are sharing TAG’s observations on this actor and what Google is doing to protect users from this group and other government-backed attackers. Because TAG’s visibility into this actor is distinct from Mandiant’s, TAG uses the name ARCHIPELAGO to track a subset of APT43 activity. TAG began tracking ARCHIPELAGO in 2012 and has observed the group target individuals with expertise in North Korea policy issues such as sanctions, human rights and non-proliferation issues. These targets include Google and non-Google accounts belonging to government and military personnel, think tanks, policy makers, academics, and researchers in South Korea, the US and elsewhere. To safeguard users at-risk, TAG uses our research on serious threat actors like ARCHIPELAGO to improve the safety and security of Google’s products. TAG adds newly discovered malicious websites and domains to Safe Browsing to protect users from further exploitation. We also send all targeted Gmail and Workspace users government-backed attacker alerts notifying them of the activity. We encourage potential targets to enroll in Google’s Advanced Protection Program, enable Enhanced Safe Browsing for Chrome and ensure that all devices are updated.”

48. Podcast: Grey Dynamics: Finland in NATO, UGVs and ChatGPT for Intelligence Analysts with Marcel Plichta

On April 7th Grey Dynamics released a new podcast episode. As per its description, “this week I caught up again with Marcel Plichta. Marcel is a member of the Grey Dynamics team, he is also a PhD candidate at St. Andrews and an Ex-DIA Analyst. We discussed the context of Finland’s NATO membership, the state of UGVs, the Great power competition in Africa, and how generative AI models like ChatGPT could be applied to intelligence in practice.”

49. Germany: Putin’s Spies Under Pressure

The German Tagesschau published this article on April 4th saying that “the Russian embassy in Berlin is considered the centre of espionage. A year ago, Germany expelled 40 Russian secret service agents in one fell swoop. More could follow soon. The first rockets had landed in Ukraine just a few hours earlier, when police officers set up barriers around the Russian embassy in Berlin. The police protection for the gigantic building directly on Unter Den Linden had been massively increased — as provided for in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. And yet: Germany’s handling of the embassy and its employees has changed significantly since then. It is now almost exactly a year since Germany officially branded the embassy as the centre of Moscow’s espionage in this country. In April 2022, 40 Russian diplomats were asked to leave the Federal Republic. They are said to have been secret service agents who used diplomatic status to disguise themselves.”

50. Netherlands: Reflection Round Table Discussion and Technical Briefing Law Cyber Operations

On April 6th Bert Hubert published this article. This is following 2022 week 36 story #56, and week 12 story #75. As per the article, “yesterday (April 5) there was a technical briefing from the AIVD and MIVD about the temporary law on cyber operations, followed by a round table discussion with experts . Last week there was a technical briefing by the regulators TIB and CTIVD. My speaking text with many clickable footnotes for clarification is here . There was a good turnout of interested parties and MPs, and there were good and well-informed questions. The media also wrote about the meetings: De Correspondent , NRC , Trouw , AD , GeenStijl. The AIVD, MIVD and Ronald Prins argue that some or all of these articles do not properly explain the new law. It is therefore good to read this Twitter thread from Ronald . His position from the roundtable discussion can be found here . The reaction of Lotte Houwing from Bits of Freedom is very insightful. Also read the other position papers , many of which are positive about the new law. This is in contrast to the other opinion from my speech. I don’t want to repeat the three meetings here again, but some things in the story of AIVD and MIVD and some experts were so wrong that I want to talk about it anyway.”

51. Podcast: SpyCast: “Indian Intelligence & Cyber” — A Conversation with Sameer Patil, ORF Mumbai

On April 4th the International Spy Museum’s SpyCast released a new episode with its description saying that “you know about the covert action using a Trojan Horse described in The Odyssey by Homer and The Aeneid by Virgil; you may even know about Sun Tzu’s chapter on “The Use of Spies” in the Art of War; but do you know that the Ancient Indian Sanskrit text Arthashastra is littered with references to espionage and intelligence — from recruitment to cover identities, through to seduction for secrets and disinformation. This week’s SpyCast dovetails into the long and venerable history of intelligence in South Asia, by bringing it smack bang up to date, with a discussion on cyber with Sameer Patil. And… The origins of the phrase “Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai” are revealed in this episode…my, how times have changed…”

52. United States: Over-classified Information Hampers Work with Allies, Top Marines Say

Marine Corps Times reported on April 5th that “the military’s habit of labeling too much information as classified hinders cooperation with allies, Marine generals said Monday. Marine Commandant Gen. David Berger, speaking at a panel at the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space in National Harbor, Maryland, stressed the importance of collaborating with other countries. “Sometimes we get in our own way, by over-classifying, over-compartmentalizing,” he said. “And yet we say our strategy is underpinned by allies and partners. You can’t have it both ways.” Partnerships are less formal relationships than alliances and don’t involve a treaty, according to a Defense Department definition. Berger said that top leaders within the DoD have worked to adjust classification policies to make it easier for services to train alongside other nations.”

53. UK Foreign Office Gives Millions to ‘Counter-Disinformation’ Groups

On April 4th DeclassifiedUK released this article stating that “the government has provided over £25m to organisations targeting “disinformation”, some of which are directed by former members of the British and US foreign policy establishment and are focused overwhelmingly on official enemies. Foreign Office is pouring money into private “counter-disinformation” groups which tend to support UK government policy positions, such as over Ukraine; Four UK-funded organisations are directed by individuals linked to the British or US foreign policy establishment; Associates of one UK-funded organisation helped to suggest Jeremy Corbyn was involved in a Russian information operation before the 2019 general election.”

54. United Kingdom: How the UK Media Misinforms Us About ‘Counter-Disinformation’ Operations

Following this week’s story #53, on April 5th DeclassifiedUK released this article saying that “Britain’s media routinely quote private groups countering Russian and other disinformation without saying they are funded by the UK government and directed by people linked to the UK or US foreign policy establishment. Declassified finds 25 Guardian and Observer articles referencing the Atlantic Council Digital Forensic Research Lab, none of which mention its funding by the UK and US governments; The Centre for Information Resilience has been referenced 29 times in the UK media, with only one article mentioning its UK government funding; The UK government refuses to tell parliament which “counter-disinformation” groups it supports and with how much money. The UK government has poured over £25m into private “counter-disinformation” organisations since January 2018 and four of these are directed by people linked to the British or US foreign policy establishment. Yet while publishing information deriving from these groups, much of it on the Ukraine war, media outlets are failing to inform their readers of these organisations’ ties to the UK government. Instead, the information is presented as coming from “independent” or “non-government” sources, thereby obscuring the financial trail which leads to Whitehall.”

55. Russia: In Moscow, Oksana Fedorova was Sent to a Pre-trial Detention Centre in a Case of Espionage

Mediazone reported on April 3rd that “the Khamovnichesky District Court of Moscow chose a measure of restraint for Oksana Fedorova — she was sent to a pre-trial detention center. Mediazone was informed about this by the press service of the court. Fedorova is on trial for espionage (Article 276 of the Criminal Code). The details of the case are unknown. Usually, the measure of restraint in espionage cases is chosen by the Lefortovsky District Court of Moscow. According to the statistics of the judicial department at the Supreme Court of Russia, from 2010 to mid-2022, 24 people were convicted under the article on espionage in Russia. Foreigners and stateless persons are liable under this article. In 2021, three people were convicted under Article 276, all of them were given real terms.”

56. Podcast: Combat Story: Signal Interceptor in Combat | Special Forces Linguist | 82nd Airborne | Clay Jensen

On April 1st Combat Story published a new podcast episode. As per its description, “today we hear our first Combat Story from a military intelligence linguist and signal interceptor, Clay Jensen. Clay deployed six times to both Iraq and Afghanistan and has spent considerable time helping to get our Afghan allies out of Afghanistan. Clay was in a Blackhawk when it was shot out of the sky while trying to identify the location of Al-Qai’da’s then #2 leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Afghanistan. Clay was also forward deployed in 2007 to identify the location of Bin Laden during what became a failed raid to capture AQ’s leader at the time (listeners will recall that our former guest Mike Rutledge was also on that operation). Clay supported clandestine and Top Secret operations working alongside NSA and other three letter agencies in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Latin America as part of both the 82nd Airborne and 7th Special Forces Group in a Special Operations Team — Alpha (or SOT-A).”

57. French Military Spy Chief Jacques Langlade de Montgros Strives to Restore His Directorate’s Reputation

Intelligence Online reported on April 7th that “after his last-minute appointment as head of France’s Directorate of Military Intelligence (DRM) in April 2022, General Jacques Langlade de Montgros has been working hard to improve his unit’s image, which was tainted by his predecessor’s management of developments in Ukraine.”

58. Russian SVR: To Minsk on a Working Visit

On April 4th the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) issued this press release stating that “the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation, Sergei Naryshkin, said that full trust has been established between the intelligence services of Belarus and Russia. “I would like to emphasise that our interaction is equivalent, representing equal mutual interest. We have something, our Belarusian colleagues have something stronger. Indeed, in recent years we have seriously strengthened our interaction in order to identify and stop those external threats facing our two countries, the Union State. We have quite serious plans to move in this direction,” he said during a meeting with President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko.”

59. United States: Seabed Espionage Variant of Virginia Class Submarine in Development

The Warzone released this article on April 7th saying that “seabed warfare was once an obscure topic mainly reserved for national security circles, espionage thrillers, and websites like the one you are reading. In recent years, it has exploded into the global consciousness. This has been spurred primarily by Russia’s clear designs on being able to wreak havoc on critical undersea infrastructure. China is also active in the area, as well. Now, the events surrounding the Nordstream 2 pipeline have made this realm of warfare a household conversation. Foreign actors are not alone when it comes to seabed warfare capabilities. The United States also has abilities in this shadowy domain and it looks like it is now working to expand those via a customized version of the Virginia class nuclear fast attack submarine. The reality is that seabed warfare goes far beyond cutting or tapping into critical fiber optic communications cables and destroying pipelines. It also includes other forms of espionage.”

60. SIGINT Historian: Gwen Joins GCHQ at Eastcote

Following week 11 story #87, week 12 story #65, and week 13 story #82, on April 4th the former GCHQ departmental historian Tony Comer published this article saying that “before dealing with my post-war Sigint career I should like to recommend Tessa Dunlop’s book “The Bletchley Girls” — 16 of them, ranging from the obligatory member of the aristocracy to a Bletchley born girl proud to have been taken on as a messenger at the age of 14. For several of them the Bletchley experience changed their life, as it did for me. In my last term at Oxford. I wangled an interview at GCHQ through the good offices of Pat Baber. It was Joe Hooper who interviewed me and obviously he didn’t think much of me, as I was offered only a middling executive grade post. Even so, it paid more and it appealed to me very much more than the alternatives suggested by the Oxford careers officer. I trusted that the BP habit of promoting on merit regardless of background or gender still obtained.”

61. Ukrainian GUR: The “Counter-attack Plan” Leaked Online is a Fake and a Russian Special Operation

On April 8th Ukraine’s military intelligence (GUR) announced that “Andriy Yusov, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, stated on the air of a national telethon that the so-called “classified military documents” leaked online about the plans of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are a forgery and a special operation of the Russian intelligence services. “In recent decades, the most successful operations of the Russian intelligence services took place in Photoshop. From the preliminary analysis of these materials, we see false figures on losses from both sides. Part of the information is clearly collected from open sources. If we talk about the needs of the Ukrainian army: the topic was discussed a lot at all levels. It is not a secret for anyone that Ukraine asks questions about aviation, tanks, ammunition and other things that are needed for the faster liberation of the occupied territories, to save lives. Everything else — we will wait for official comments. But Ukrainian society has no reason to worry,” said the representative of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine. Andriy Yusov added that there will be a counter-offensive, and the main plans of the enemy will be seen and felt on the battlefield. He also suggested that the Russians may have forged documents to disrupt or slow down Western aid to Ukraine.”

62. Ukrainian SBU States Kulinich Was Cooperating with the FSB

Following 2022 week 29 story #13, on April 5th Ukraine’s SBU issued this press release stating that “the investigation has been completed: the SBU have released new evidence of Kulinich’s cooperation with the FSB of the Russian Federation. These conversations are included in the materials of the criminal proceedings, which were completed by the SBI. After the accused gets acquainted with the case, they will be brought to court. We will remind that the employees of the Security Service of Ukraine detained Oleh Kulinich (Олег Кулініч) in July 2022 as a result of a special operation conducted jointly with the State Bureau of Investigation. He was charged with treason (Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), creation of a criminal organization (Article 255), voluntary abandonment of the place of service under martial law (Article 407), possession of weapons and their illegal storage (Articles 410 and 263). “We did our best not only to detain the top state traitor, but also to gather a powerful evidence base, on the basis of which the court will be able to pass a fair verdict. This is a clear signal to all those who work for the enemy: the SBU will definitely find you and make you answer for what you have done, no matter where you are hiding. We will bring every mole to light,” said the Head of the SBU, Major General Vasyl Malyuk. As mentioned, Vasyl Malyuk was personally involved in the development of Kulinich and the special operation to arrest him. “The security service carried out an unprecedented filigree development and further implementation, carried out an agent-technical penetration into the ranks of the FSB. We obtained all the files in which Kulinich reported to Moscow information, including secret information, about the situation in our country, in the Service, about efforts to influence various processes,” Vasyl Malyuk added. Among other things, it was established that Oleg Kulinich cooperated with the FSB of the Russian Federation and received the operative pseudonym “Kotygoroshko” (Котигорошко). Its activities were supervised by the so-called “political office” in Moscow, which was organised on behalf of the FSB of the Russian Federation by the former deputy secretary of the National Security Council Volodymyr Sivkovich (Володимир Сівкович) and the former head of the Administration of the President of Ukraine Andriy Klyuyev (Андрій Клюєв). Kulinich followed the instructions of the handlers to carry out intelligence and subversive activities against Ukraine, espionage, placing “his people” in various state and law enforcement agencies, and inciting citizens to treason. As the Head of the SBU, Vasyl Malyuk, said earlier, this office in Moscow is a kind of “mole farm”. “His main task is to collect information and work in Ukraine. Case employees of the 5th Service of the FSB of the Russian Federation are present in the office. And directly they interacted with Kulinich in full cooperation with Sivkovich. After he passed on the information, they reported to the FSB,” said Vasyl Malyuk. He repeatedly emphasized that self-purification of the SBU from “moles” and traitors is one of the priority areas of work today. “Self-purification of the Service is extremely important, especially in times of war. So we do our best for this. We find all shameful phenomena in the Service itself, localize them. The entire staff feels this, the state leadership knows about it. And I hope that the people of Ukraine feel it too,” the Head of the SBU emphasised.”

63. PRC Spy Balloon: Situational Assessment

Grey Dynamics published this article on April 3rd saying that “between the 28th of January and the 4th of February, 2023, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) tracked a large surveillance platform. This platform was found crossing the continent in violation of American and Canadian sovereignty. The platform, a spy balloon of purportedly Chinese origin, travelled above many high-security military and civilian installations. An F-22 Raptor from the Air Force 1st Fighter Wing shot it down off the coast of South Carolina.”

64. United States: Estonian National Charged with Helping Russian Military Acquire U.S. Electronics, Including Radar Components; Sought-Computer Hacking Software

The FBI Counterintelligence Division issued this press statement on April 5th saying that “an eighteen-count indictment was unsealed today in Brooklyn charging Andrey Shevlyakov, an Estonian national, with conspiracy and other charges related to procuring U.S.-made electronics on behalf of the Russian government and military. Shevlyakov was arrested on March 28, 2023 in Estonia. As alleged in the indictment and other court filings, at the time of his arrest, the Estonian seized inbound shipments addressed to Shevlyakov’s front companies, including one that contained approximately 130 kilograms (286 pounds) of radio equipment. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James Smith, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Houston and Trey McClish, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security — Office of Export Enforcement’s Dallas Field Office announced the charges. “As alleged, for more than a decade, the defendant has been acquiring sensitive electronics from U.S. manufacturers on behalf of the Russian government, in defiance of U.S. export controls,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Our Office will not relent in its efforts to stop those who unlawfully procure U.S. technology for Russia or any other sanctioned countries, entities or individuals.” Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation for Task Force KleptoCapture, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and the Estonian Internal Security Service (KAPO) for their valuable assistance. “For years, Mr. Shevlyakov’s elaborate web of deceit allowed him to allegedly procure sensitive American-made electronics on behalf of the Russian military,” said FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge James Smith. “His illegal acquisitions of sophisticated U.S. technology endangered citizens in both Ukraine and the United States. FBI Houston will continue to work with our valued international partners, especially the Estonian Internal Security Service (KAPO), to investigate and disrupt actors who illicitly support the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by Russian armed forces.” “As these actions have proven, BIS will continue to hunt down and bring to justice those who harm our national security and illicitly supply the Russian regime,” said Special Agent in Charge McClish.”

65. United States: New Batch of Classified Documents Appears on Social Media Sites

Following this week’s story #33, on April 7th the New York Times published this article stating that “a new batch of classified documents that appear to detail American national security secrets from Ukraine to the Middle East to China surfaced on social media sites on Friday, alarming the Pentagon and adding turmoil to a situation that seemed to have caught the Biden administration off guard. The scale of the leak — analysts say more than 100 documents may have been obtained — along with the sensitivity of the documents themselves, could be hugely damaging, U.S. officials said. A senior intelligence official called the leak “a nightmare for the Five Eyes,” in a reference to the United States, Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, the so-called Five Eyes nations that broadly share intelligence. The latest documents were found on Twitter and other sites on Friday, a day after senior Biden administration officials said they were investigating a potential leak of classified Ukrainian war plans, include an alarming assessment of Ukraine’s faltering air defense capabilities. One slide, dated Feb. 23, is labeled “Secret/NoForn,” meaning it was not meant to be shared with foreign countries. The Justice Department said it had opened an investigation into the leaks and was in communication with the Defense Department but declined to comment further.” Yahoo! News also reported about this on April 8th saying that “the documents, all photographs of printouts, pertain to a host of sensitive American national security matters, including the ongoing U.S.-led coalition campaign to defeat the Islamic State group, the disposition of U.S allies in the Middle East and Europe with respect to Russia, and the United Kingdom’s military plans for countering China in the Pacific. Yesterday, Discord was used to leak a number of Pentagon documents relating to Russia’s war against Ukraine, including estimated losses on both sides, the New York Times reported. The U.S. Defense Department confirmed today that the material was genuine but claimed it had been selectively edited before being released, which was corroborated by open-source analysis. The Washington Post reported that “many of the documents appear to have been prepared over the winter for Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other military officials.” Yet the Ukraine files were evidently just a portion of the leaked U.S. intelligence materials. Multiple documents in the latest batch are marked “TOP SECRET,” a high category of classification. Others are marked “FVEY,” meaning they are only to be shared with the U.K., Canada, New Zealand and Australia, which together with the United States constitute the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance. Yahoo News has seen over 60 other documents but cannot verify their authenticity. There is the possibility that some or all may be forgeries or manipulated versions of originals. They cover a gamut of urgent U.S. foreign policy preoccupations.”

66. Russia Likely Behind U.S. Military Document Leak, U.S. Officials Say

Following this week’s stories #33 and #65, Reuters reported on April 8th that “Russia or pro-Russian elements are likely behind the leak of several classified U.S. military documents posted on social media that offer a partial, month-old snapshot of the war in Ukraine, three U.S. officials told Reuters on Friday, while the Justice Department said separately it was probing the leak. The documents appear to have been altered to lower the number of casualties suffered by Russian forces, the U.S. officials said, adding their assessments were informal and separate from the investigation into the leak itself. The U.S. officials spoke on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the matter and declined to discuss the documents in any detail. The Kremlin and Russia’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment. An initial batch of documents circulated on sites including Twitter and Telegram, dated March 1 and bearing markings showing them classified as “Secret” and “Top Secret.”.”

67. India Confronted Myanmar About Chinese Spy Post on Remote Island

Bloomberg reported on April 7th that “India has confronted Myanmar in recent months with intelligence showing that China is providing assistance in building a surveillance post on a remote island in the Bay of Bengal, according to Indian officials with knowledge of the matter. Indian government representatives at various levels have shared satellite imagery with Myanmar counterparts that they said depicted Chinese workers helping to construct what appears to be a listening post on the Coco Islands in the Indian Ocean, said the officials, who asked not to be identified discussing sensitive information. The workers were also seen extending an airstrip, they said. In the meetings, representatives from Myanmar’s ruling junta denied any Chinese involvement and dismissed India’s concerns, the officials said. Still, India remains worried that the infrastructure will allow China to monitor communications from naval bases and track missiles from test sites on its eastern coastline, they said. Major General Zaw Min Tun, a spokesman for Myanmar’s ruling State Administration Council, called the allegation that China was building a spy facility in the Coco Islands “absurd.” He denied that the topic ever came up with Chinese or Indian officials, and said Myanmar would never allow access to foreign troops.”

68. Ukrainian SBU Dismantled a Russian Bot Network in Kropyvnytskyi

On April 7th Ukraine’s SBU announced that they “liquidated the Kropyvnytskyi bot farm, which created more than 3,000 fake accounts for information sabotage against Ukraine. Cyber ​​specialists of the Security Service neutralised the Kropyvnytskyi bot farm, which operated for the benefit of Russian intelligence services. As a result of investigative and operational actions, the organiser of the enemy “cell” was detained. He turned out to be a migrant from Zaporizhzhia who moved to Kirovohrad Oblast after the start of a full-scale invasion. There, he began mass-creating anonymous social media accounts and selling them through the darknet. He installed the appropriate equipment in a rented apartment in one of the sleeping areas of the regional center. The average cost of one bot is UAH 200. It was established that the attacker created almost 3,000 fake accounts, which he planned to sell for a total of more than half a million UAH. His main “clients” were representatives of the Russian intelligence services, as well as pro-Kremlin propagandists under their control. The bots were needed by the aggressor to “disperse” disinformation allegedly on behalf of Ukrainian citizens about the situation at the front, as well as for attempts to discredit units of the Defence Forces. In this way, the enemy tried to destabilise the internal political situation in various regions of Ukraine in the conditions of war. During the search of the suspect’s rented apartment, the following was found: ️computer equipment; ️specialised equipment; ️3,000 SIM cards that he used in illegal activities.”

69. A ‘Vibe Check’ on Cyber Espionage: The Case of TikTok

Following week 10 stories #37, #54, #71, and #80, week 11 stories #41 and #93, week 12 story #31, and this week’s story #21, on April 4th Grey Dynamics published this article stating that “is it possible that TikTok is a new means of cyber espionage? 3.5 billion people worldwide have downloaded the app, so having extensive control of devices worldwide could be a major threat. The United States government is considering a plan to ban TikTok because of fears that the Chinese government can access the data from devices which we install the app on. Recent investigations have discovered that employees from TikTok have harvested data from users’ devices. The US government agency has already instructed individuals to wipe the app from their devices. Furthermore, the EU have also asked employees to remove TikTok from their work devices.”

70. Arrested US Reporter Evan Gershkovich Charged with Espionage in Russia

Following last week’s story #69, on April 8th EuroNews reported that “jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has been charged with espionage in Russia, two Russian state-owned news agencies reported. The state news agency Tass and the Interfax news agency said Friday a law enforcement source informed them that Russia’s KGB successor, the Federal Security Service (FSB), had officially charged Gershkovich, a US national. Gershkovich has entered a formal denial, reports claim. Tass quoted its source as saying, “The FSB investigation charged Gershkovich with espionage in the interests of his country. He categorically denied all accusations and stated that he was engaged in journalistic activities in Russia.” The source allegedly declined further comment because the case is considered secret.”

71. Israel Denies Leaked Claim That Spy Agency Leaders Encouraged Protest

The New York Times reported on April 8th that “among the revelations contained in the leaked Pentagon documents was an assertion that the leadership of the Mossad, Israel’s foreign intelligence service, had encouraged the agency’s staff and Israeli citizens to participate in the anti-government protests that roiled the country in March. Senior Israeli defense officials denied the assessment’s findings, and The New York Times was unable to independently verify the U.S. intelligence assessment. Senior U.S. officials said the Federal Bureau of Investigation was working to determine the source of the leaked documents. The officials acknowledged that the documents appear to be legitimate intelligence and operational briefs compiled by the Pentagon’s Joint Staff, using reports from the government’s intelligence community, but that at least one had been modified from the original at some later point. The apparent authenticity of the documents, however, is not an indication of their accuracy.”

72. Leaked Documents Reveal Depth of U.S. Spy Efforts and Russia’s Military Struggles

Following this week’s story #65, the New York Times reported on April 8th that “a trove of leaked Pentagon documents reveals how deeply Russia’s security and intelligence services have been penetrated by the United States, demonstrating Washington’s ability to warn Ukraine about planned strikes and providing an assessment of the strength of Moscow’s war machine. The documents portray a battered Russian military that is struggling in its war in Ukraine and a military apparatus that is deeply compromised. They contain daily real-time warnings to American intelligence agencies on the timing of Moscow’s strikes and even its specific targets. Such intelligence has allowed the United States to pass on to Ukraine crucial information on how to defend itself. The leak, the source of which remains unknown, also reveals the American assessment of a Ukrainian military that is itself in dire straits. The leaked material, from late February and early March but found on social media sites in recent days, outlines critical shortages of air defense munitions and discusses the gains being made by Russian troops around the eastern city of Bakhmut. The intelligence reports seem to indicate that the United States is also spying on Ukraine’s top military and political leaders, a reflection of Washington’s struggle to get a clear view of Ukraine’s fighting strategies. The new documents appear to show that America’s understanding of Russian planning remains extensive and that the United States is able to warn its allies about Moscow’s future operations.”

73. Podcast: True Spies: The Mighty Wurlitzer | CIA

On April 4th, SpyScape’s True Spies released this new podcast episode. As per its description, “the idealism of youth is a powerful thing. But when you’re part of a movement, can you ever be sure of who’s really pulling the strings? In the 1950s and 60s, a hidden hand is manipulating members of the National Student Association. But a change is going to come — and someone is bound to blow the whistle. Sophia Di Martino joins Professor Hugh Wilford to uncover the CIA’s controversial involvement in student activism in the 20th century.”