Researchers uncover secretive Russian spy unit by studying its commemorative badges

July 21, 2025 2 Comments

FSB RussiaA GROUP OF RESEARCHERS in Finland have managed to outline the structure and geographic footprint of a highly secretive Russian signals intelligence (SIGINT) unit by studying commemorative badges issued by the Russian government. The research group, known as CheckFirst, specializes in open-source (OSINT) investigative reporting and works to combat online disinformation.

Earlier this month, CheckFirst published its latest report titled “OSINT & Phaleristics: Unveiling FSB’s 16th  Center SIGINT Capabilities”. The 36-page report focuses on the study of Russian government-issued commemorative badges—also known as challenge coins—relating to Center 16 (16-й Центр). Also known as  Military Unit 71330, Center 16 is a secretive SIGINT unit that houses most of the cyber espionage capabilities of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).

Challenge coins are custom-made medallions given by military, intelligence, and government agencies to recognize service, commemorate achievements, or build morale. Originating in the United States military during World War I, and popularized during the Vietnam War, challenge coins are routinely exchanged in ceremonies or offered to personnel as tokens of camaraderie and loyalty within a specific unit or mission.

Often regarded as collectors’ items, challenge coins from various agencies are often resold on websites such as eBay, or displayed online on websites maintained by private collectors. CheckFirst researchers tracked down several versions of Center 16 challenge coins found on a variety of publicly available websites, as well as on the websites of Russian challenge coin manufacturers, such as GosZnak, SpetsZnak, or Breget.

Based on this OSINT methodology, CheckFirst researchers were able to identify 10 distinct directorates within Center 16, which specialize on various aspects of defensive and offensive cyber espionage. Previously only a single Center 16 directorate had been identified in the unclassified domain. Moreover, by examining geographic indicators found on several of challenge coins, such as maps or coordinates, CheckFirst researchers were able to partly map out the geographic structure of Center 16, locating nearly a dozen interception facilities throughout Russia.

► Author: Joseph Fitsanakis | Date: 21 July 2025 | Permalink

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Israeli spy agency set up bases deep inside Iran years before June 13 strike

June 16, 2025 8 Comments

Tehran IranTHE MOSSAD, ISRAEL’S PRIMARY external intelligence agency, had set up forward-operating bases deep inside Iranian territory several years prior to last week’s attacks, which targeted Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure. In some cases, Mossad operatives, including commando forces, were operating inside the vicinity of the Iranian capital Tehran for months prior to June 13, according to Israeli media outlets.

June 13 marked the commencement of Operation RISING LION, a joint Mossad/Israel Defense Force (IDF) campaign to decimate Iran’s military leadership, diminish its defense capabilities, and destroy its nuclear infrastructure. The assault, which is ongoing as of today, has been described by the Associated Press as the largest attack suffered by Iran since the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s.

Reports that emerged in the past 48 hours suggest that the success of the Israeli operation hinged decisively on a network of bases that the Mossad had managed to establish deep inside Iranian territory for quite some time. The bases had been set up by Mossad operatives that, in some cases, had managed to operate inside Iran for years. Additional support was allegedly provided by “special units of Iranian operatives working for Mossad”, according to one report.

The Mossad bases hosted “precision weapons” that had been smuggled in from Isarel over time. These were used to target selected Iranian surface-to-air missile installations shortly prior to the main phase of the attack, which was carried out by over 200 IDF fighter jets. With key Iranian defensive installations destroyed, the IDF fighter jets were able to carry out their missions without obstruction in the early hours of June 13.

Moreover, the Mossad appears to have //penetrated// the battle plans that were to be followed by the Islamic Republic’s senior military leadership during a possible military confrontation with Iran. Therefore, as the IDF attack commenced, Israeli missiles destroyed the top-secret bunker that was used by the leadership of the Artesh (Iran’s conventional military force) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). At least two dozen senior Artesh and IRGC commanders were killed as a result of this intelligence penetration, according to reports.

► Author: Joseph Fitsanakis | Date: 16 June 2025 | Permalink

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Leaked counterintelligence document reveals Russian concerns about Chinese spying

June 9, 2025 6 Comments

FSB RussiaA LEAKED REPORT AUTHORED by Russia’s primary counterintelligence agency reveals deep concern in national security circles about the intensity of Chinese spying against Russian interests, according to The New York Times. The paper said last week that the leaked report, which was produced by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) between 2023 and 2024, offers “the most detailed behind-the-scenes view” of Russia’s counterintelligence concerns about China.

Following the death of Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin, the two communist countries became sworn enemies and nearly went to all-out war against each other. But in recent years Moscow and Beijing put aside their differences, prompted by their mutual desire to challenge the geopolitical supremacy of the United States and bring about a multipolar world. Since 2022, when Moscow resumed its military invasion of Ukraine, Beijing has stood firmly by the Kremlin. China has become the largest importer of Russian energy and has provided the Russian military with much-needed advanced technology. The relationship between the two neighboring nations appears to be deeper than ever before.

But according to a recently leaked report, Russia’s national security establishment is deeply concerned about Chinese efforts to dominate its ally by spying against it. The eight-page report outlines “ENTENTE-4”, a counterintelligence program run by the 7th Service of the FSB’s Department for Counterintelligence Operations. The department is known by its Russian acronym, DKRO. The DKRO’s 7th Service is tasked with counterintelligence planning and operations against Asian countries, with China being its primary target.

According to The Times, the DKRO produced the report sometime between 2023 and 2024. The document appears to have been intended for distribution to the FSB’s field offices across Russia. It was acquired by ARES Leaks, a cyber criminal syndicate, which posted images of the document on the Telegram messenger application. The paper said it shared the leaked document with “six Western intelligence agencies”, all of which assessed it to be genuine. Read more of this post

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Russian spies operated in Portugal using forged Brazilian papers, report claims

May 26, 2025 2 Comments

Porto PortugalTWO RUSSIAN SPIES USED forged documents acquired in Brazil in order to live in Portugal for years and use it as a base from where to conduct espionage, according to an investigation by Portuguese counterintelligence. The spies were husband-and-wife team Vladimir Aleksandrovich Danilov and Yekaterina Leonidovna Danilova, both in their 30s. According to The New York Times, they appeared in Portugal in 2018 using the names Manuel Francisco Steinbruck Pereira and Adriana Carolina Costa Silva Pereira.

Portuguese weekly newspaper Sol said on Saturday that Danilov used a Brazilian passport and supplied authorities with documentation showing his father was a Portuguese national. This allowed Danilov to eventually obtain Portuguese citizenship. Although Danilova did not apply for Portuguese citizenship, she was granted permanent residency by the European Union country. These credentials enabled the spies to move freely in the European Union’s 27 member-states without restriction.

In 2022 the Brazilian Federal Police, with the assistance of United States intelligence agencies, launched a lengthy investigation into the activities of several Russian spies who operated in Brazil in recent years. The spies appear to have used concocted Brazilian identities in order to operate around the world undetected. The investigation eventually incorporated counterintelligence services from as many as eight countries, including Portugal, according to Sol.

So far the Portuguese investigation has revealed that the Danilovs conducted a variety of espionage operations in the coastal city of Porto, which is Portugal’s second-largest urban center following the capital Lisbon. Using Porto as an operational base, the couple traveled extensively around the world using their Brazilian and Portuguese passports. Each time they were able to return to their home in Porto “without encountering any issues”, Sol reports. The two spies have vanished and their current whereabouts are unknown.

► Author: Joseph Fitsanakis | Date: 26 May 2025 | Permalink

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White House orders spy agencies to prioritize intelligence collection on Greenland

May 12, 2025 8 Comments

Nuuk GreenlandTHE ADMINISTRATION OF UNITED States President Donald Trump has ordered American intelligence agencies to focus on Greenland, while also mulling a plan to establish a formal association with the island territory. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), headed by Tulsi Gabbard, has communicated an official “collection emphasis message” on Greenland to the directors of American intelligence agencies.

Citing “two people familiar with the effort”, the paper said that the classified message was communicated to the leadership of the National Security Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency, among other members of the intelligence community. The recipients of the order were instructed to prioritize the collection of intelligence about the politics of Greenland and Denmark to which Greenland belongs. They were also instructed to collect information about the island’s economic and social dynamics, including its inhabitants’ views on the United States.

The United States government uses collection emphasis directives as a means of aligning the use of intelligence resources with the White House’s policy priorities. According to The Wall Street Journal, the directive appears to be among the first concrete steps taken by the White House to utilize the government’s national security apparatus in support of President Trump’s often-stated desire to acquire Greenland on behalf of the United States. The island’s 57,000 residents are citizens of Denmark, which is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and a longtime American military and political ally.

When asked to comment on this report by The Wall Street Journal, DNI Gabbard accused the newspaper of “breaking the law and undermining our nation’s security and democracy [by] leaking classified information”. She added that the newspaper “should be ashamed of aiding deep state actors who seek to undermine the President by politicizing and leaking classified information”.

Meanwhile, the Reuters news agency reported last week that White House officials have begun outlining a plan to pursue a so-called Compact of Free Association (COFA) between the United States and Greenland. The United States maintains COFA agreements with several Pacific Island nations, including Micronesia and Palau. These agreements permit the American military to operate on the soil and maritime jurisdiction of these nations. In return, the United States provides these nations with essential services, as well as security and military protection.

► Author: Joseph Fitsanakis | Date: 12 May 2025 | Permalink

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Son of senior CIA official dies ‘fighting for Russia’ in Ukraine

April 28, 2025 1 Comment

CIA Directorate of Digital InnovationA 21-YEAR-OLD American citizen, whose mother is a senior Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) official, died while fighting with the Russian military in Ukraine in 2024, according to a news report. Late last week, the CIA confirmed the accuracy of the story while requesting that the media afford the bereaved family “privacy at this difficult time”.

On April 25, the independent Russian media website Important Stories (known as iStories) claimed that Michael Gloss, 21, the son of CIA Deputy Director for Digital Innovation Gallina Gloss, had “died within the borders of Ukraine” while fighting for the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Although his death had occurred in April 2024, the information about his American citizenship and his connection to the CIA had been kept from the media until the iStories report disclosed it to the public.

Later on the same day, a spokesperson for the CIA told NBC News that the spy agency was aware of the incident, which had been treated “as a private family matter for the Gloss family, not a national security issue”. The CIA spokesperson added that Michael Gloss had “struggled with mental health issues” and relayed the Gloss family’s wish for “privacy at this difficult time”.

According to iStories, Michael Gloss voiced strong support for Ukraine early in the Russo-Ukrainian war. He eventually traveled to Europe on his own, joining the Rainbow Family, a modern-day hippie movement with roots in late-1960s counterculture. Gloss eventually traveled across Turkey, where he reportedly began posting increasingly pro-Russian messages and strong criticism of the United States on his social media accounts.

In the summer of 2023, Gloss began posting stories and images from Russia. In one instance, he stated in a social media post that he had decided to “defeat mortality and the military-industrial complex”. Shortly afterwards he enlisted in the Russian army and began posting photos and videos from his military training alongside other international volunteers. He also began participating on Russian social media platforms, such as VKontakte, where he expressed strong support for the Russian war effort and blasted what he referred to as “Western propaganda” about Ukraine and its government.

According to iStories, Michael Gloss “died within the borders of Ukraine”, though it is not known whether he participated in any fighting. An obituary published by his family in the United States makes no mention of his enlistment in the Russian military, stating only that he was “tragically killed in Eastern Europe on April 4, 2024”, while “forging his own hero’s journey”.

► Author: Joseph Fitsanakis | Date: 28 April 2025 | Permalink

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British civil servants warned of listening devices in pubs near government buildings

April 21, 2025 6 Comments

Parliament StreetBRITAIN’S SECURITY AGENCIES HAVE reportedly warned civil servants and parliamentarians that public places located near government buildings may be bugged by foreign intelligence agencies. The warning covers the SW1 postcode district of southwest London, which encompasses the City of Westminster and includes the Houses of Parliament, the Office of the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Steet, and Whitehall. The latter is home to several ministries and departments, including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Cabinet office, and the Ministry of Defense.

The historic London borough is littered with historic public houses (commonly referred to as ‘pubs’) and restaurants, where thousands of parliamentarians and civil servants, as well as their aides, gather for lunch or drinks on weekdays. The area is also home to numerous parks, where many government workers eat their lunch during breaks—weather permitting. Among them is St. James’ Park, which is adjacent to Downing Street and within a short walking distance from the Treasury and the Foreign Office.

It is for these reasons, according to Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper, that foreign intelligence agencies consider these gathering hotspots as targets. The paper reports that “Chinese and other spies, including the Russians and Iranians” consider these prime SW1 locations as “the soft underbelly of Whitehall”. Accordingly, government officials holding sensitive positions, as well as junior staff working for them, have been warned to refrain from work-related discussions when frequenting these locations for lunch of drinks after work.

One source reportedly told the paper that St. James’ Park is “full of Chinese agents”, and went on to say: “we have been told the Chinese literally have the park bugged, with devices in the bushes and under park benches”.

► Author: Joseph Fitsanakis | Date: 21 April 2025 | Permalink

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250 ex-Mossad members sign letter criticizing Netanyahu’s stance on hostages

April 14, 2025 5 Comments

MossadOVER 250 FORMER MEMBERS of the Mossad, Israel’s external spy agency, have drafted an open letter criticizing the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and warning that they will “not continue to stand by”. The letter campaign is reportedly led by former senior Mossad official Gail Shoresh and renowned hostage negotiator David Meidan. It comes in the heels of similar letters issued last week by Israel Air Force active service personnel and veterans, and by former members of Unit 8200—the cyber and signals intelligence branch of the Israel Defense Forces.

The letter is signed by dozens of former Mossad department heads and deputy department heads, one former deputy director, and three former directors: Tamir Pardo, Efraim Halevy and Danni Yatom. It openly criticizes the administration of Prime Minister Netanyahu for prioritizing the war against Hamas over the lives of 59 Israeli hostages, who are believed to remain captive by the militant Palestinian organization in the Gaza Strip. It also calls on Israeli officials to “make brave decisions and act responsibly for the security of the country and its citizens”.

The letter claims to voice the views of “Mossad and special services veterans, who have dedicated many years to safeguarding the country’s security”. It lambasts the Netanyahu government for refusing to negotiate with Hamas to secure the release of the Israeli hostages, and warns that Mossad and special services veterans “will not continue to stand by” any longer. It also expresses “full support” for an earlier letter written by Israel Air Force pilots, some of whom were subsequently dismissed form the service for criticizing the government.

The letter by the ex-Mossad service members shares the authors’ “deep concern for the future of the country” and calls for Prime Minister Netanyahu “to act immediately to reach an agreement to return all 59 abductees home, without delay, even at the cost of ceasing fighting.” It concludes with a direct message to the embattled Netanyahu: “The sanctity of life, Mr. Prime Minister, takes precedence over ‘God of Revenge’”.

► Author: Joseph Fitsanakis | Date: 14 April 2025 | Permalink

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Reuters publishes details about alleged Russian airline sabotage plot

April 7, 2025 4 Comments

DHL AviationTHE REUTERS NEWS AGENCY has disclosed more information about an alleged plot by Russian intelligence to detonate bombs on cargo flights from Europe to North America. Initial details of the plot emerged in October 2024, when it was reported that explosions had occurred earlier that year at shipping warehouses in England and Germany. It later emerged that a similar explosion had occurred at a third shipping warehouse, located in Poland.

It is now understood that the explosions occurred on July 19, 20 and 21, 2024, and that at least two of them took place in facilities belonging to DHL, a German logistics firm headquartered in Bonn. Affected facilities are reportedly located in Leipzig, Warsaw, and Birmingham. All three explosions were caused by rudimentary incendiary devices hidden inside commercial shipments. European officials said at the time that the explosions were part of a broader wider campaign by Russian intelligence to sabotage Western European transportation and shipping networks.

Now the Reuters news agency claims that the explosions were meant to test security systems in preparation for a major sabotage operation. The operation aimed to detonate explosive mechanisms in mid-air on cargo flights from Europe to the United States and Canada. Moreover, a fourth incendiary device, which was found at a Warsaw shipping facility, failed to explode and has been forensically examined by bomb experts, Reuters said. Citing “interviews with more than a dozen European security officials”, including a person familiar with the case in Poland, the news agency said it was able to provide “the most granular account yet of the alleged plot”.

The report claims the incendiary devices were concealed inside pillows, bottles of cosmetics, and sex toys. They were ignited with the use of remote timers taken from cheap Chinese electronic goods. Once detonated, the timers sparked explosions with the help of gelled flammable cocktails that included compounds such as nitromethane—a highly flammable liquid chemical used in industrial applications. All ingredients used in the incendiary devices, including nitromethane, are easily accessible to consumers at a relatively low cost.

According to Reuters, the procedures followed in the DHL attacks fit the profile of similar operations that have been carried out in recent years by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Russian Forces’ General Staff, known as GRU. Such procedures include hiring disposable agents, most of which are not Russian citizens, for one-off operations. In the case of the DHL attacks, the agents were allegedly hired on the encrypted messaging platform Telegram and paid with the use of cryptocurrencies, or in cash.

Among the alleged suspects in the case is a Ukrainian man identified by Reuters as Vladyslav Dekravets, who was recruited in southern Poland and is now facing extradition to Poland from Bosnia. Another suspect, identified in the Reuters report as Alexander Bezrukavyi, allegedly packaged parcels containing sneaker shoes for shipment to the United States and Canada. The shipments were intended to help the GRU “gather information about parcel-processing methods and timing”. During the operation, the two men came in contact with individuals who appeared to be GRU officers, using the cryptonyms WARRIOR and MARY.

The DHL cases remain at a pre-trial stage in several European countries, Reuters said. They involve the pending extradition of suspects from elsewhere in Europe. The trials are going to feature evidence gathered from criminal investigators and intelligence agencies, according to the report.

► Author: Joseph Fitsanakis | Date: 07 April 2025 | Permalink

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Taiwan jails soldiers guarding president’s office for spying for China

March 31, 2025 2 Comments

China and TaiwanFOUR TAIWANESE SOLDIERS WITH access to “extremely sensitive” secrets have received jail sentences for spying for Chinese intelligence, as Taiwanese authorities have warned of a sharp rise in Chinese espionage cases. Three of the soldiers had been detailed to the security of the Office of the President, while the fourth soldier was a member of staff at the Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense’s Information and Telecommunications Command.

According to the prosecution, the soldiers made use of their personal mobile phones to photograph “internal military information” they had access to. They then shared the photographs with their Chinese intelligence handlers. In return for their services, their handlers compensated the soldiers by paying them between $7,000 and $20,000 each. The espionage arrangement between the soldiers and their handlers lasted between 2002 to 2024, the court heard.

No information was shared during the open-door portion of the court case about the type of information that the four soldiers were accused of having shared with their Chinese handlers. But the prosecution alleged that the digital photographs given to the Chinese contained information that the four alleged spies had acquired while working in “extremely sensitive and important units” of the Taiwanese military. At the conclusion of the court case, the court sentenced the soldiers to between 70 and 84 months in prison for violating Taiwan’s national security law. In sentencing the accused, the judge said they had engaged in acts that “betrayed the country and endangered national security”.

Meanwhile, the Taiwanese National Security Bureau announced late last week that the number of people who were prosecuted for involvement in Chinese espionage in 2024 broke all recent records for the second year in a row. Specifically, there were 10 prosecutions for Chinese espionage in 2022, 48 in 2023, and 64 in 2024. Many of those caught spying for China were either active or former members of the Taiwanese military. These individuals were deliberately targeted by Chinese intelligence officers because they had knowledge of Taiwanese military secrets, the National Security Bureau said.

► Author: Joseph Fitsanakis | Date: 31 March 2025 | Permalink

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Death of Soviet defector Gordievsky not seen as suspicious, British police say

March 24, 2025 8 Comments

Oleg GordievskyBRITISH MEDIA REPORTED THE death on Saturday of Oleg Gordievsky, arguably the most significant double spy of the closing stages of the Cold War, whose disclosures informed the highest executive levels of the West. Having joined the Soviet KGB in 1963, Gordievsky became increasingly disillusioned with the Soviet system of rule following the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia.

By 1974, Gordievsky had established contact with Danish and British intelligence and was regularly providing information to Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). After 1982, when Gordievsky was posted to the Soviet embassy in London, MI6 deliberately subverted his superiors at the embassy by expelling them. This effectively enabled Gordievsky to take their place and rise to the position of resident-designate of the KGB station in London.

Intelligence historians credit Gordievsky’s intelligence with having shaped the strategic thinking of British and American decision-makers in relation to the Soviet Union. Crucially, Gordievsky’s warnings to MI6 that the Kremlin was genuinely concerned about a possible nuclear attack by the West prompted British and American leaders to temper their public rhetoric against the Soviet Union in the mid-1980s. Some even credit Gordievsky with having helped the West avoid a nuclear confrontation with the Soviet Union.

In 1985, while undergoing interrogation by the Soviet authorities, Gordievsky was smuggled out of Russia by British intelligence, hidden inside a car that made its way to Finnish territory. He was subsequently sentenced in absentia to death for treason against the Soviet Union. In 1991, following an agreement between British and Soviet authorities, Gordievsky’s wife and daughters were allowed to join him in England.

According to Surrey Police, officers were called to a residential address in the city of Godalming on Tuesday March 4, where they found 86-year-old Gordievsky’s body, surrounded by members of his family. Godalming is a small market town in southeastern England, located around 30 miles from London. Surrey Police noted in a statement that the investigation into Gordievsky’s death was led by counterterrorism officers. However, his death was “not being treated as suspicious”.

Gordievsky spent nearly 40 hours in a coma in 2007, from which he eventually recovered. He subsequently claimed that he had been poisoned after taking sleeping pills tainted with a lethal toxin, which had been supplied to him by a man he referred to as a “business associate” with a Russian background.

► Author: Joseph Fitsanakis | Date: 24 March 2025 | Permalink

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European Union exploring spy satellites to replace its reliance on US network

March 17, 2025 4 Comments

European Space AgencyTHE EUROPEAN UNION IS  considering building its own military satellite network in an effort to reduce or eliminate its reliance on American satellite capabilities, according to reports. The London-based Financial Times newspaper said on Saturday that the exploratory project is being led by Andrius Kubilius, a veteran Lithuanian politician who is serving as the European Commissioner for Defense Industry and Space.

Speaking to The Financial Times, Kubilius confirmed that the European Union is considering the construction of a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite system. Such a system would complement the European Union’s existing Copernicus Earth observation program, which is managed by the European Commission in partnership with the individual European Union member states. The costs and benefits of Copernicus are shared by member states and by several agencies, including the European Space Agency, the European Environment Agency, and the European Maritime Safety Agency.

Unlike Copernicus, a new LEO satellite system would primarily satisfy military priorities and would generate imagery updates every 30 minutes, thus providing near-real-time intelligence on targets. In contrast, Copernicus satellites are able to generate new imagery every 24 hours. Moreover, a new LEO satellite system would integrate into IRIS², an internet network of multi-orbit satellites intended to provide on-demand location-tracking, security surveillance and secure communications links to European Union member states. IRIS² is scheduled to become operational in 2027.

In his comments to The Financial Times, Kubilius acknowledged that the idea for a new European Union LEO satellite system was sparked by “changes in the geopolitical situation” relating to the United States. Subsequently, the European Union is exploring ways to “reduce its reliance on United States military assets”, he said. The commissioner admitted that such a project would be costly—perhaps in excess of $540 billion—as well as time-consuming. But there was much desire to proceed, he said.

In the meantime, the European Union is considering “commercial alternatives” until an independent European Union-run satellite network becomes fully operational, according to the The Financial Times.

► Author: Joseph Fitsanakis | Date: 17 March 2025 | Permalink

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Russia expels two UK diplomats, accuses London of sabotaging Trump peace plan

March 10, 2025 3 Comments

FSB RussiaTHE RUSSIAN FEDERATION HAS revoked the accreditation of two British diplomats over espionage allegations, while also accusing the United Kingdom of sabotaging the United States’ “peace plan” for Ukraine. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Monday that the diplomatic expulsions involved two British men, a diplomat stationed at British embassy in Moscow, as well as a spouse of another British diplomat.

According to the FSB, the two men “intentionally provided false information” to Russian authorities when they were granted official permission to enter the country, which made them ineligible for continued accreditation. Additionally, the FSB claims it has in its possession evidence that the two men have been “carrying out intelligence and subversive work” on Russian soil, which “threatens the security of the Russian Federation”.

In February of this year, the United Kingdom expelled a Russian diplomat in an apparent response to earlier expulsions of British diplomats by Russia, which occurred in November 2024. The rounds of diplomatic expulsions between London and Moscow go back to at least 2022, after Russia invaded eastern Ukraine for the second time. This week’s expulsions raise the number of British diplomats that have been expelled from Russia to seven.

Meanwhile Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), which carries out intelligence operations abroad, has accused Britain of being “the world’s biggest warmonger”. In a statement shared with reporters on Monday, the SVR claimed that London was actively sabotaging American efforts to “secure peace” in Ukraine by “undermining the peacekeeping efforts” of United States President Donald Trump.

In a statement issued on Monday, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office said it was not the first time that Russia had leveled “malicious and baseless accusations” against its diplomats.

► Author: Joseph Fitsanakis | Date: 10 March 2025 | Permalink

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DOGE breach of US Treasury data may harm CIA intelligence assets, officials warn

February 8, 2025 13 Comments

Department of the TreasuryUNITED STATES GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS have raised concerns that allowing Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DoGE) access to Treasury Department databases could expose human intelligence assets operating abroad. On January 31, newly installed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent gave two DoGE employees, Tom Krause and Marko Elez, read-only access to the Treasury Department’s payment system. Elez, 25, subsequently resigned from DoGE, following allegations that he had authored a series of racist tweets. However, last Friday Musk announced on X that he would rehire Elez.

According to The Washington Post, a senior Treasury employee filed a memorandum to Secretary Bessent, warning that any form of access to the department’s payment system by DoGE employees would “pose an unprecedented insider threat risk” to government secrets. The memo reportedly focused specifically on payments made by Treasury to human intelligence sources, which are typically recruited and handled abroad by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), and other agencies of the United States Intelligence Community. Such payments are made to foreign assets who collect intelligence on behalf of American agencies, or Americans who work in an intelligence capacity without the use of diplomatic cover.

According to Newsweek, which followed up on the story, the memo noted that the Treasury Department employs several methods to disguise payments made to human intelligence sources. However, these methods remain vulnerable to detection by “people with the requisite know-how”, which would allow these assets to be identified and could place their lives in danger. As a result, DoGE’s access to the classified database posed an “unprecedented insider threat risk”, according to the memo. It advised Secretary Bessent to “suspend [DoGE’s] access immediately and conducting a comprehensive review of all actions [DoGE employees] may have taken on these systems”.

On Saturday a federal judge in the district of Manhattan issued a preliminary injunction that bars DoGE from accessing any Treasury Department databases that contain personally identifiable information. The injunction also instructs DoGE personnel to surrender back to Treasury all information they have obtained so far. A hearing to decide the next steps in the case is due to occur on February 14.

► Author: Joseph Fitsanakis | Date: 08 February 2025 | Permalink

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Ex-intelligence officials warn against building new casino near US spy agencies

January 27, 2025 8 Comments

ODNI DNIA GROUP OF FORMER United States government officials have warned against plans to build a new casino in a part of northern Virginia that is home to several intelligence agency facilities. The proposed casino would be built in Tysons, also known as Tysons’ Corner, an unincorporated community of about 30,000 residents, located between McLean and Vienna, west of the nation’s capital.

Part of the Washington metropolitan area, Tysons is adjacent to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the National Counterterrorism Center headquarters. It is also only a handful of miles from the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which is located in nearby Langley, Virginia. Several major government contractors have offices in Tysons, including BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman, Palantir Technologies, and Deloitte.

A bipartisan group of local lawmakers, headed by State Senate Majority Leader Scott A. Surovell (D-Fairfax), have proposed a bill that seeks to examine the possibility of building a casino complex in Tysons. The casino would be part of a mixed-use development that would include upscale apartments, a luxury hotel, and a concert venue. Supporters of the bill argue that the proposed development would bring jobs to the area and would elevate the quality of life of Tysons residents.

But the proposed plan is being resisted by a group calling itself National Security Leaders for Fairfax. The newly formed group is reportedly led by Anne Gruner, former deputy director of the CIA’s Weapons Intelligence, Nonproliferation and Arms Control Center, and Sally Horn, who served as a senior director in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Last December, the group authored a letter [PDF] to local government officials, arguing that the existence of a casino in Tysons could potentially aid the machinations of foreign spies.

The letter decries “[t]he proximity of a Tysons casino to a significant population of government, military, and contract officials with access to highly secretive government intelligence, diplomatic, and defense information”. It cautions that, not only would a casino “attract organized crime —casinos always do— but also adversarial intelligence services looking to recruit those with such access whom they hope to blackmail”.

Gambling addiction has long been considered a vice that could endanger holders of security clearances, because it poses risks to their financial stability and personal integrity. Excessive gambling can lead to debt, which may make individuals vulnerable to coercion, bribery, or exploitation by adversaries seeking access to classified information. The behaviors associated with problem gambling —such as deception, secrecy, or desperation to recover losses— can potentially undermine the trustworthiness and reliability required for maintaining a security clearance.

But those who support the plan for the casino complex dismiss such claims. They argue that there are already several other casinos in the area and that building one more in Tysons would not alter the security dynamics. State Senator Surovell told The Washington Post, which reported about the proposed casino last week: “We already have a massive slots parlor 45 minutes west in West Virginia, [an] MGM [casino] right over the river [in Maryland] and sports gaming on every phone in the state”.

► Author: Joseph Fitsanakis | Date: 27 January 2025 | Permalink

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