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☆ The air freight industry is on high alert after fires at DHL warehouses were linked to Russian sabotage operations
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-08 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Fires at DHL warehouses this year may have been part of Russian sabotage operations, officials have said. AdvertisementSuspected Russian sabotage activities targeting the air freight industry have been on the rise this year, and the industry is preparing for further action. Speaking a few months after the DHL fires, the chief of the UK's MI6 intelligence service, Richard Moore, said he believed Russian intelligence services had "gone a bit feral." AdvertisementKremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has denied Russia's involvement in sabotage operations in Europe. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Germany's domestic intelligence services, and the BND declined to comment further.

Persons: —, Brandon Fried, Fried, Thomas Haldenwang, Haldenwang, Frank Umbach, Umbach, Richard Moore, Shashank Joshi, Joshi, Dmitry Peskov, KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV, Keir Giles, Giles, that's Organizations: DHL, Service, Airforwarders Association, Street Journal, Financial, Energy, Security, University of Bonn, Rheinmetall, Royal United Services Institute, NATO, Military Counterintelligence Service, Federal Office, Getty Images, Chatham House's, Eurasia Program Locations: Europe, Russia, Moscow, Germany, America, Leipzig, Birmingham, Lithuania, North America, Russian, Ukraine, AFP, Chatham House's Russia

☆ Cargo plane operators are on high alert after a string of suspected Russian sabotages
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-08 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

☆ U.S. citizen who helped Russia from Ukraine appears in Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-04 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW — A U.S. citizen who was spirited out of eastern Ukraine by Russian special forces after helping the Kremlin target Ukrainian troops said in Moscow on Saturday he had asked for Russian citizenship. He said he was under no duress, wanted to receive Russian citizenship and predicted Russia would win the war in Ukraine. Martindale, who said he had worked as a missionary, said he entered Ukraine from Poland in early 2022, just days before President Vladimir Putin ordered thousands of troops into Ukraine. Martindale said that while in Ukraine, he had established contact with pro-Russian forces via Telegram and passed them information from Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine. Russian forces had even delivered a telephone to him with a drone, the Izvestia newspaper reported.

Persons: Daniel Martindale, ”, Martindale, Vladimir Putin, “ I’ve Organizations: MOSCOW, Kremlin, Embassy, Telegram Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Moscow, Russia, The U.S, Poland, Donetsk

☆ Frustration grows as federal agency struggles to combat election lies spread by Americans
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-02 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Some internal proposals to support election officials’ efforts to combat disinformation have made little headway. Jen Easterly, director of the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, in an interview in Washington, DC, on October 2, 2024. Ben Curtis/APThe agency has advised election officials on how to communicate clearly with voters and to prepare for security incidents. Some election officials interviewed by CNN were skeptical about the federal government’s ability to debunk election lies that are part of a broader rise of misinformation in America. The agency now has a team of former election officials who provide physical and cybersecurity services to election offices around the country.

Persons: Homeland Security’s, CISA, Jen, Ben Curtis, Sen, Mark Warner, “, Elon Musk, Hurricane Helene, ”, ‘, Cait Conley, Stephen Richer, Conley, we’ve, ” Conley, ” Adrian Fontes Organizations: CNN, The Department, Homeland, Agency, Infrastructure Security Agency, Senate Intelligence Committee, Virginia Democrat, Social, Republican, Capitol, Meta, Twitter, YouTube, US, FBI, Russian Locations: Washington ,, Virginia, America, Maricopa County

The hackers also targeted prominent Democrats including the staff of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, another source briefed on the matter told CNN. There are no indications anyone was able to access data related to Jared Kushner or his devices, a person familiar with the matter told CNN. The Trump campaign is operating under the assumption that the hackers could still have access to the phone communications they targeted that belong to Trump and Vance, two of the sources said. Given how pervasive the Chinese hacking campaign has been in US telecom networks, some US allies are checking their own computer networks for signs of compromise. The ongoing Chinese hacking campaign means that the next administration — whether Trump or Harris wins — will likely inherit another major cybersecurity incident with big implications for national security.

Persons: Eric Trump’s, Jared Kushner’s, Donald Trump’s, Trump, JD Vance, Harris, Walz, Chuck Schumer, Eric Trump, Kushner, ‘, ’, Eric’s, Lara, Ivanka Trump, Kamala, Biden, Jared Kushner, Vance, ” Sen, Mark Warner, —, Joe Biden, Ted Barrett, Natasha Bertrand, Kaitlan Collins, Kristen Holmes Organizations: CNN, Republican, Democratic, FBI, The New York Times, AT, Verizon, Trump, Investigators, Justice Department, Department of Justice, Huawei, Republican National Committee, Embassy, US, Infrastructure Security Agency, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Department of Homeland Security, DHS, Virginia Democrat Locations: Beijing, China, Washington ,, People’s Republic of China, United Kingdom

☆ Putin once asked Elon Musk to not activate Starlink over Taiwan as a favor to Xi Jinping: report
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-25 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Vladimir Putin asked Elon Musk to withhold Starlink from Taiwan as a favor to China, per The Wall Street Journal. Musk has been in regular contact with Putin since 2022, the Journal reported, citing officials. AdvertisementRussian leader Vladimir Putin once asked Elon Musk to withhold Starlink access from Taiwan as a favor to China's Xi Jinping, The Wall Street Journal reported. AdvertisementThe Journal reported that in late 2023, Musk received his first request from the Kremlin to refrain from activating Starlink over Taiwan. Musk, SpaceX, the Pentagon, and NASA also did not respond to similar comment requests.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Elon Musk, Musk, Putin, —, Xi, Defense Department —, Ian Bremmer, Per Bremmer, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Musk's, Donald Trump, Karoline Leavitt, there's, it's President Trump, Leavitt, Trump Organizations: Street, Service, Street Journal, SpaceX, Pentagon, NASA, The New York Times, Defense Department, Business, New York Times, Eurasia Group, Kremlin, Putin, Trump, it's, Republican Locations: Starlink, Taiwan, China, Moscow, Beijing, Europe, Russia, Russian, Washington, Ukraine, Crimea

☆ Microsoft CEO Nadella asked for pay reduction after security slip, but total comp still rose 63%
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-24 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella speaks at an event on the company's Redmond, Washington, campus on May 20, 2024. Microsoft gave CEO Satya Nadella a pay raise for the 2024 fiscal year of more than $30 million. The board's compensation committee said Nadella asked that the cash incentive portion reflect the security issues. It was originally supposed to be $10.66 million, but the full board approved a $5.2 million cash incentive instead. Microsoft's security business generated over $20 billion in revenue in 2022, more than total revenue for many security companies.

Persons: Satya Nadella, Nadella Organizations: Apple Inc, Microsoft, U.S . Department of Homeland Security Locations: Redmond, Washington

Former Marine Paul Whelan said he was devastated when a Biden administration official told him WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner was being released from Russian detention after nine months and he was not. The official told him that to free Griner, the U.S. had traded convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s price for releasing the celebrity athlete. “It was a sham.”When he refused, Whelan said he was placed in a cell where the lights were left on around the clock. After he was sentenced to 16 years of forced labor, the Russian trial judge said he would probably be released in two weeks. “The prison food is even worse.”They subsisted, Whelan said, on tea, bread, watery soup, “the kind of fish only Russians eat.

Persons: Marine Paul Whelan, Brittney Griner, Whelan, Viktor Bout, Vladimir Putin’s, What’s, ”, “, ” Whelan, Trevor Reed, Konstantin Yaroshenko, Reed, Evan Gershkovich, Vladimir Kara, Murza, Alsu, Antony Blinken, David Whelan, ’ ” Whelan, Putin, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Alexei Navalny, Flora, Andrews, Biden, Andrea Mitchell, he’ll, he’s Organizations: Marine, Biden, WNBA, NBC News, Homeland Security, U.S ., British, Kremlin, Radio Free, Radio Liberty, Marines, State Department, CIA Locations: U.S, Russia, Russian, Michigan, Russian American, Radio Free Europe, Moscow, Canada, British, Iraq, Turkey, Manchester , Michigan

☆ Russia weighs fighter jet and missile deals that would expand Iran's military power
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-19 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Advanced air defenses and anti-ship cruise missiles may also be on the table. Iran has ordered Su-35 fighters and also wants S-400 Triumf air defenses to, among other things, face Israel's superior missiles and air force. If all these deals do go forward, they would enhance the military capabilities of Iran and its allied militias. While the type of equipment was not specified, it could be the S-400 Iran has long sought. Iran is seeking Russia's S-400 air defenses.

Persons: —, Su, Justin Bronk, Bronk, Anton Mardasov, hasn't, Mardasov, parry, Israel, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Service, Iran, Technology, Military Sciences, United Kingdom's Royal United Services Institute, The New York Times, Russian Defense Ministry, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Moscow, Iran's Locations: Russia, Iran, Israel, Ukraine, Tehran, East, Syria, Moscow, Saudi Arabia, United States, Russian, Kyiv, Panamanian, Lebanon

☆ Russia is on a 'sustained mission' to create mayhem on Europe's streets, UK spy chief says
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-08 | by ( Sam Meredith | In Samuelmeredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The head of Britain's domestic spy agency on Tuesday accused Russian military intelligence of being on a "sustained mission" to cause mayhem in Britain and Europe. The spy chief said the agency was having to deal with a "dizzying range" of beliefs and ideologies, citing risks posed by Russia, Iran, China and others. McCallum said the number of state threat investigations MI5 is running had jumped 48% in the last year. He said the GRU — Russian military intelligence — in particular was on "a sustained mission to generate mayhem on British and European streets: we've seen arson, sabotage and more." "This goes well beyond all historical precedent – and has put a big dent in the Russian intelligence services' ability to cause damage in the West," he added.

Persons: Ken McCallum, McCallum, Vladimir, " McCallum Organizations: MI5, CNBC Locations: Britain, Europe, London, Russia, Iran, China, Ukraine, Moscow

The FBI and Microsoft have seized more than 100 web domains they say Russian intelligence used for cyber-espionage, according to court documents unsealed Thursday. The domains were allegedly staging grounds for Russia’s FSB intelligence agency in its ongoing efforts to spy on targets of interest, ranging from the U.S. Department of Energy to Russian nonprofits and media outlets critical of the Kremlin. The Justice Department seized 41 of the web domains, according to the FBI affidavit, and also granted Microsoft control of 66 additional domains the company said were part of the same operation. Intelligence agencies with even moderate cyber capabilities routinely hack foreign targets to gather intelligence. Many of the web domains allegedly used by the FSB were hosted by Virginia-based company Verisign, the court documents said.

Persons: Hillary Clinton’s, Steven Masada, ” Masada, Natalia Krapiva, ” Organizations: FBI, Microsoft, U.S . Department of Energy, Kremlin, Justice Department, United, Russia’s Ministry, Foreign Affairs, NBC News, Microsoft’s Digital, Unit, The Locations: States, United States, Russian, U.S, British, Virginia

☆ Justice Department and Microsoft disrupt Russian hacking operations aimed at US officials and civil society
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-03 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington CNN —The Justice Department and Microsoft on Thursday announced the seizure of more than 100 web domains that a Russian intelligence agency allegedly used to try to hack current and former US officials, civil-society groups and Russians living in the US. It’s the latest in a series of moves from the Justice Department to expose alleged covert Russian operations targeting US democracy in the runup to the 2024 presidential election. The UK government last year accused the same Russian hacking group of conducting a “sustained unsuccessful attempts to interfere in UK political processes” over several years that hacked politicians, civil servants and journalists. The hackers operate on behalf of Russia’s FSB intelligence agency, the prime successor to the Soviet-era KGB, according to US officials. Another FSB-linked hacking group has posed a direct threat to US critical infrastructure by targeting energy facilities, according to US officials.

Persons: Steven Masada, “, ”, John Scott, Natalia Krapiva Organizations: Washington CNN, The Justice Department, Microsoft, Justice Department, CNN, FSB, University of Toronto’s, Russian Embassy Locations: Russian, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Eastern Europe, United States, Washington ,

CNN —US federal prosecutors on Friday unsealed criminal charges against three Iranian government-linked hackers in connection with a hacking operation aimed at Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. Masoud Jalili, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri and Yasar (Yaser) Balaghi are accused of aggravated identity theft and wire fraud for their hacking efforts on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Separately, the US Treasury Department on Friday imposed sanctions on seven people as part of a sweeping response to Iranian efforts “to influence or interfere” in the 2020 and 2024 US presidential elections. The alleged Iranian hack threw a twist in the presidential campaign in August when multiple news outlets reported receiving emails from a pseudonymous email account peddling documents stolen from the Trump campaign. The hacking operation began in June, when the alleged IRGC-linked hackers targeted longtime Trump ally Roger Stone and used access to his email account to target campaign staff.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Trump, Masoud Jalili, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri, Balaghi, “, JD Vance —, Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris ’, Roger Stone, Harris Organizations: CNN, Court, District of Columbia, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, US Treasury Department, Trump, Biden, FBI, The, Department, Washington Post, Fox Locations: Russia, China, Iran, Russian, Ukraine

☆ Independent journalist publishes Trump campaign document hacked by Iran despite election interference concerns
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-27 | by ( Kevin Collier | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The PDF document is a 271-page opposition research file on former President Donald Trump's running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio. But on Thursday, reporter Ken Klippenstein, who self-publishes on Substack after he left The Intercept this year, published one of the files. "If the document had been hacked by some 'anonymous' like hacker group, the news media would be all over it. Three U.S. agencies have publicly attributed the hack and the subsequent distribution of the files to Iran. As president, Trump authorized the assassination of military leader Qassem Soleimani.

Persons: Donald Trump's, Sen, JD Vance, Ken Klippenstein, I'm, Klippenstein, Vance, Hillary Clinton's, Trump, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Qassem Soleimani, Robert, Robert persona's, Elon Musk, Joe Biden's, Hunter, Substack Organizations: European Union, Austria International, Politico, Trump, Google, Microsoft, NBC, National Intelligence, Intelligence, NBC News, New York Post Locations: Iran, China, Russia, Britain, Germany, France, American, R, Ohio, U.S, Substack

The PDF document is a 271-page opposition research file on former President Donald Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio. But on Thursday, reporter Ken Klippenstein, who self-publishes on Substack after he left The Intercept this year, published one of the files. “If the document had been hacked by some ‘anonymous’ like hacker group, the news media would be all over it. As president, Trump authorized the assassination of military leader Qassem Soleimani. The Vance file appears to be the one Klippenstein hosts on his site.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Sen, JD Vance, Ken Klippenstein, I’m, ”, Klippenstein, “, Vance, Hillary Clinton’s, Trump, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Qassem Soleimani, Robert, Robert persona’s, Elon Musk, Joe Biden’s, Hunter, Substack Organizations: Politico, Trump, Google, Microsoft, NBC, National Intelligence, Intelligence, NBC News, New York Post Locations: American, R, Ohio, Iran, U.S, Substack

Russian intelligence services are building up their presence in Mexico for spy operations targeting the United States, a return to Cold War tactics by an increasingly aggressive regime, according to U.S. officials and former intelligence officers. The Mexican Embassy and the Russian Embassy did not respond to a request for comment. “Part of this is a function of the fact that so many Russian intelligence officers have been kicked out of Europe. Those are Russian intelligence personnel, and they keep an eye very closely on their opportunities to have influence on U.S. opportunities and access,” VanHerck said. Russian intelligence could conceivably also take advantage of Mexico’s proximity to target Putin’s political enemies inside the U.S., former intelligence officers said.

Persons: Biden, William Burns, ” Burns, ”, Vincenzo Circosta, “, Paul Kolbe, Glen VanHerck, ” VanHerck, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Trotsky, —, ideologues, Leon Trotsky, Joseph Stalin, Vladimir Lenin, Ramon Mercader, John Sipher, ” Sipher, Christopher Boyce, Andrew Daulton Lee, Lee, Boyce, Harold “ Jim ” Nicholson, Hector Cabrera Fuentes, Fuentes, Douglas London, enforcement’s, Natalia Sedova's, Claudio Cruz, ” Kolbe Organizations: U.S, NBC News, Mexican Embassy, Russian Embassy, CIA, “, Kremlin, Getty, . Air Force, U.S . Northern Command, Senate Armed Services Committee, TRW, Soviet Embassy, Bettmann, Museum Locations: Mexico, United States, Russia, Mexico City, Moscow, Washington, Ukraine, Mexican, Russian, Europe, London, Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast, Anadolu, Balkans, U.S, “, Cuba, Soviet Union, Spanish, Los Angeles, Soviet, manacles, Seattle, surveilling, Miami, American, AFP, Colombia

☆ Russia goes all-out with covert disinformation aimed at Harris, Microsoft report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Immediately after the video was posted on Sept. 2, social media users pointed out reasons to be wary. The caution was warranted, according to a new Microsoft threat intelligence report, which confirms the fabricated tale was disinformation from a Russia-linked troll farm. The report builds on previous concerns the U.S. has had about Russian interference in the upcoming election. Notably, some of the recent examples cited in the Microsoft report received significant social media engagement from unwitting Americans who shared the fake stories with outrage. "As the election approaches, people get more heated," Clint Watts, general manager of the Microsoft Threat Analysis Center said in an interview.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Francisco's, Joe Biden, Harris, Biden, Clint Watts Organizations: Democratic, Kremlin, Microsoft Locations: San Francisco, Russia, Russian, U.S

☆ Biden administration expected to unveil new evidence of RT’s key role in Russian intelligence operations globally
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-13 | by ( Kylie Atwood | Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Biden administration is expected on Friday to announce a major effort to blunt the global influence of RT and expose what it says is the Russian state media network’s key role in the Kremlin’s global intelligence and influence operations, according to a senior administration official and three other sources familiar with the matter. A key finding from the new US intelligence is that, for more than a year, the Russian government has quietly embedded an intelligence-gathering unit within RT that is focused on influence operations globally, one of the sources familiar said. That activity has been part of US officials described as a big expansion of RT’s role as an arm and mouthpiece of the Kremlin abroad. The activity goes beyond propaganda and covert influence operations to even include military procurement, the source said. The US believes RT propaganda and disinformation has been key to generating pro-Russia reactions to the Ukraine war globally, the senior administration official said.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, “, –, RT, Trump, Joe Biden Organizations: CNN, State Department, Kremlin, of Justice, UN, Assembly, US Department of Justice, US, European Union, Saharan Africa RT, Huawei Locations: Russian, Russia, America, Ukraine

The campaign began earlier this year and stopped before President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race last month, a Meta spokesperson said. The WhatsApp accounts claimed to be tech support for companies like AOL, Google, Yahoo and Microsoft, according to a Meta blog post. The same WhatsApp campaign also targeted users in Iran, Israel, Palestine and the United Kingdom, Meta said. However, the company would not necessarily know if a victim fell for the WhatsApp messages and gave the hackers valuable information that enabled access to their account. It’s unclear whether or how more of the hacked Trump files will surface before Election Day.

Persons: Biden, Meta, Joe Biden, ”, Donald Trump’s, Harris, Iran’s, Trump, The New York Times —, Hillary Clinton Organizations: Trump, AOL, Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, United Nations, NBC, Companies, Politico, The Washington Post, The New York Times, WikiLeaks Locations: U.S, Iran, Utah, Israel, Palestine, United Kingdom

☆ Inside the $93 million Wall Street heist that stemmed from Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-15 | by ( Cnbc.Com Staff | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Then, they traded based on that insight, buying and selling stock from well-known American companies like Skechers, Snapchat and Roku. Vladislav Klyushin, who was sentenced to nine years in an American prison for his $93 million hack-to-trade conspiracy. "[They're] breaking into these American companies," said Steven Frank, a federal prosecutor familiar with the case. "Stealing information day after day…and just trading on it." Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards The homepage for the Russian cybersecurity firm M-13, which was stealing financial information from American companies.

Persons: Vladislav Klyushin, Klyushin's, Roku, Tesla, Steven Frank, Klyushin, Massachusetts CNBC's Eamon Javers, Javers, —, Evan Gershkovich, Ella Milman, Roberto Schmidt Organizations: Attorney's, Massachusetts, of Massachusetts, Tesla, FBI, U.S, Wall Street, Russia, Joint Base Andrews, Afp, Getty, CNBC Locations: Russian, U.S, Russia, Maryland

☆ Serbia’s president says lithium protests part of ‘hybrid’ warfare against country
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-12 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Ap-Live-Blog-Byline-Image.Png | The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Serbia’s president Sunday accused demonstrators who opposed a lithium mining project in the Balkan country of being part of a Western-backed “hybrid” warfare against his government and vowed to take strong legal action against those protesters who have blocked railway and road traffic in the capital a day earlier. Some of the protesters later blocked tracks at two railway stations in the city, and briefly stopped traffic on a major highway. Protestors block railroad tracks of Belgrade's main railway station to protest against Serbia's government plan to reboot a lithium mine on August 10, 2024. Saturday’s demonstration came after weeks of protests in dozens of cities throughout Serbia against a government plan to allow lithium mining in a lush farming valley in the west of the country. Vučić said Sunday there will be no lithium mining in the next two years while all the risks are being investigated, in an apparent attempt to pacify critics.

Persons: Aleksandar Vučić, Ivica Dacic, Marko Djokovic, Vucic, “, ” Vučić, Viktor Yanukovych, ”, Vučić, Vučić’s Organizations: . Riot, AFP, Getty, Government, Saturday, Vučić’s, European Union Locations: Balkan, Belgrade, Serbia, Ukraine’s, Kyiv, Russia, China, EU

☆ How Two Russian ‘Illegals’ Went Deep Undercover With Their Children
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-04 | by ( Andrew Higgins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Darja Stefancic, a painter in Slovenia known for technicolor landscapes, thought it strange when an obscure online art gallery run by a woman from Argentina contacted her out of the blue and asked her to join its thin roster of artists. The painter suspected a scam, and she worried that the gallery, which virtually nobody in Slovenia’s tiny, tight-knit art scene had heard of, “just wanted to cheat people.”It did — but in ways that far surpassed even her darkest suspicions. The online gallery was a front for Russian intelligence, part of an elaborate network of deep-cover sleeper spies trained to impersonate Argentines, Brazilians and other foreign nationals by Russia’s foreign intelligence agency, the SVR, around Europe. They were real-life versions of the fictional stars of “The Americans,” a television series inspired by the 2010 arrest of a ring of actual Russian sleeper agents in the United States.

Persons: Darja, “ Locations: Slovenia, Argentina, Europe, United States

☆ Children of Russian spy couple in prisoner swap only learned their nationality on flight to Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Anna Chernova | Radina Gigova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The children of two Russian intelligence agents, who were among the detainees released as part of a historic prisoner swap, only discovered their nationality when they were being flown to Moscow, the Kremlin said Friday. The pair had been posing as an Argentine couple in Slovenia where they were convicted of spying. Russian President Vladimir Putin greeted them on the tarmac in Spanish as they didn’t speak Russian and didn’t even know who Putin was, according to Peskov. “When the children came down the plane’s steps – they don’t speak Russian – and Putin greeted them in Spanish, he said ‘Buenas noches,’” Peskov said. While living undercover in Slovenia, Dultsev posed as an IT businessman named Ludvig Gisch.

Persons: Artem Dultsev, Anna Dultseva, “, Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin, Putin, –, ‘ Buenas, ” Peskov, ”, Dultseva, bouquets, Dultsev, Vadim Krasikov, Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Ludvig Gisch, Maria Rosa Mayer Munos, Peskov Organizations: CNN, Wall Street, CIA Locations: Moscow, Argentine, Slovenia, Turkey, Russian, Ankara, ”, Spanish, Russia, Belarus, Germany, Berlin, Ljubljana, United States

☆ What a historic prisoner swap means for Vladimir Putin’s Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Among those headed back to Russia are convicted hackers and several Russian nationals detained in the West for spying. And the biggest prize for Russia was the return of Vadim Krasikov, a convicted hitman whose release had been publicly sought by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Anna Chapman, one of 10 Russian sleeper agents deported from the US in a 2010 prisoner swap, was also feted on her return to Russia. Britain blamed the poisoning on Russia; Russia has consistently denied involvement, although Putin referred to Skripal as a “scumbag” and a “traitor,” his contempt suggesting that Skripal had gotten his just desserts. The release of Russians in the swap means that Russia’s political climate is no less repressive.

Persons: Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, Alsu Kurmasheva, Vladimir Kara, John le, Vadim Krasikov, Vladimir Putin, Krasikov, Zelimkhan, Tucker Carlson, Putin, Khangoshvili, ” Krasikov, Viktor Bout, Brittney, US Department of Justice –, Bout, Anna Chapman, Chapman, ”, Sergei Skripal, Skripal, Yulia, Novichok, Frank Augstein, Alexander Litvinenko, Litvinenko, Andrei Lugovoi, Dmitri Kovtun –, Lugovoi, Alexey Navalny, Navalny, Roman Abramovich, Hillary Clinton, Murza –, –, Alexandra Skochilenko Organizations: CNN, Wall Street, Russia, Berlin Police, US Department of Justice, Hollywood, St ., Economic, Russian, Kremlin, European, of Human Rights Locations: American, Ukraine, Russia, Chechen, Berlin, Russian, St, St . Petersburg, United Kingdom, English, Salisbury, Britain, England, British, Moscow, Washington, United States

☆ Who was freed in major prisoner swap between Russia and the West?
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

The German court that convicted Krasikov in 2021 said he acted on behalf of the Russian state, shooting Khangoshvili “execution style” in broad daylight. Vadim Konoshchenok, 48An undated photo of Vadim Konoshchenok included in a 2022 court document. He was arrested in February 2022, according to the Polish state news agency PAP. Lilia Chanysheva, 42Lilia Chanysheva stands is seen during a hearing at the Kirovskiy District Court in Ufa, Russia, on June 14, 2023. He was sentenced to four years in a penal colony in July 2022, according to Amnesty International.

Persons: Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, Vadim Krasikov, Vadim Krasikov Berlin Police Krasikov, Krasikov, Zelimkhan, Khangoshvili, Ramzan Kadyrov, Putin, Viktor Bout, Whelan, Brittney, Biden, Alexey Navalny, Vadim Konoshchenok, Konoshchenok, Vladislav Klyushin, Klyushin, Roman Seleznev, US Department of Justice Roman Seleznev, Seleznev, Artem Dultsev, Ludvig Gish, Anna Dultseva, Dultsev, Maria Rosa Mayer Munos, Mikhail Mikushin, Pavel Rubtsov, Pablo Gonzalez, Oihana Goiriena, Vincent West, Pablo Gonzales, Natalia Kolesnikova, Kirill Kudryavtsev, US Marine Whelan, Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva, Liberty Alsu Kurmasheva, Alexey Nasyrov, Kurmasheva, Vladimir Kara, Murza, Kara, Vladimir Putin’s “, ”, Rico Krieger, Krieger, Alexander Lukashenko, Kevin Lik, Lick, Dieter, Voronin, Ivan Safronov, Roscosmos, Demuri Voronin, Safronov, Herman Moyzhes, Moyzhes, Patrick Schoebel, Schoebel, Ilya Yashin, Yuri Kochetkov, ” Alexandra Skochilenko, Alexandra Skochilenko, Anton Vaganov, Skochilenko, “, ” Oleg Orlov, Oleg Orlov, Lilia Chanysheva, Chanysheva, Ksenia Fadeeva, Maxim Shemetov, Fadeeva, Vadim Ostanin, Alexei Navalny’s, Ostanin, Andrei Pivovarov, Pivovarov Organizations: CNN, Vadim Krasikov Berlin Police, Chechen, Russian, Krasikov, US Department of Justice, US, Office, Eastern, of, Attorney's, University of Tromsø, Reuters, Court, Getty, Street, US Marine, US State Department, Radio Free, Liberty, AP, Belarusian TV, Belteleradio, Human Rights, German Red Cross, TASS, German Federal Intelligence Service, Pulkovo, Ukraine, Amnesty International Locations: American, Russia, Moscow, Berlin’s Kleiner, Russian, Georgia, Estonia, of New York, Boston, Sion , Switzerland, United States, Maldives, Slovenia, Ljubljana, Norway, Brazilian, Nabarniz, Spain, Poland, Spanish, Sverdlovsk, AFP, Irish, Radio Free Europe, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Belarusian, German, Belarus, Berlin, Germany, Europe, St . Petersburg, St, Petersburg, Meshansky, Bucha, Kyiv, Saint Petersburg, Kirovskiy, Ufa, Bashkortostan, Tomsk, Krasnodar

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