The number of Russian spies operating in the US “is still too large,” despite the country’s efforts to find and expel them, the FBI has warned.
“The traditional Russian counterintelligence threat continues to loom large,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said at an event at the International Intelligence Museum in Washington, DC, on Thursday.
“The Russian intelligence footprint — and I mean the intelligence officers — is still too big in the United States and something that we’re always dealing with and trying to block and block and disrupt in every way we can.”
Some spies are “cut-outs,” or individuals who act as intermediaries between agents, Wray said, citing a Mexican national arrested by US authorities in 2020 and accused of aiding Russian intelligence efforts.
“If anyone needs a reminder of Russia’s importance, you can look at what’s happening in Ukraine,” he added.
“Therefore, we have never lost sight of the fact that these are the same people who are involved in improper activities and aggression in Ukraine.”
FBI Director Christopher Wray warned on Thursday that the problem of Russian spies in the United States continues. Rod Lamkey – CNP / MEGA
Intelligence agencies have been grappling with Russian espionage in the US since the Cold War.
As tensions have escalated in recent years, more and more spies have been discovered in the United States.
In 2018, the US expelled 60 Russian diplomats identified by authorities as intelligence agents, and ordered the closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle, as part of its response to allegations that Russia used a nerve agent to poison a former Russian spy living in the UK.
Last year, the Dutch intelligence agency also identified a Russian intelligence officer who had studied at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies — a graduate program favored by future US military personnel, diplomats and spies, according to CNN.
In April, US authorities also issued indictments against four US citizens and three Russian citizens accused of running a “year-long foreign influence campaign in the United States” on behalf of the Kremlin.
And last month, US intelligence agencies warned that Chinese and Russian spies were targeting private American space companies, trying to steal critical technology and preparing cyber attacks aimed at degrading US satellite capabilities, the New York Times reported.
As tensions between the US and Russia have escalated in recent years, more and more accused Russian spies like Maria Butina have been detained.REUTERS
Experts believe Russia uses more spies embedded in Western countries. AFP via Getty Images
“Foreign intelligence entities recognize the importance of the commercial space industry to the US economy and national security, including the growing reliance of critical infrastructure on space-based assets,” the National Intelligence and Security Center warned.
“They see US space-related innovation and assets as a potential threat, as well as a valuable opportunity to acquire important technology and expertise.”
The NCSC advises space technology companies to track anomalous incidents on their computer networks to find possible breaches, develop protocols to identify potential foreign agents in their business, investigate potential investors and prioritize the protection of the most important intellectual property.
Christo Grozev, an investigative journalist with Bellingcat, said he believes Russia’s intelligence chiefs have changed the way they work since the invasion of Ukraine began.
“They lost so much of the capacity they had with spies under diplomatic protection,” he told the Guardian. “The short-term cooperative they had from Unit 29155 is also now considered burned.”
Western intelligence agencies believe the unit is a secret GRU group tasked with sabotage and assassination attempts across Europe.
Christo Grozev, an investigative journalist with Bellingcat, said Russia has lost many of its spies under diplomatic protection. Yury Zaitsev, the US-based director of a Russian government-run cultural exchange program, was investigated in 2013 for spying on behalf of Russia. AP
Maria Butina attends a Russian government meeting in Moscow.EPA
Its existence came to light when officials and journalists realized the GRU — Russia’s main intelligence agency — was providing 29,155 operatives with passports issued at the same passport office, each with closely related serial numbers.
The agents became useless as a result, and Grozev said Russia “had to activate their sleepers and when you do that, you risk more exposure.”
In his speech on Thursday, Wray said that “over the last few years, the US has made significant positive steps in reducing the size of the footprint of Russian intelligence officials in the United States, kicking them out, basically.”
But Grozev warned recent revelations of agents in Western countries may be just the beginning, claiming he has already sniffed out others.
“I feel like I’m down a rabbit hole, finding more stuff in places I didn’t think I’d find anything,” he told the Guardian.
Last month, US intelligence agencies warned that the Kremlin may be spying on American space companies for sensitive information.AP
Meanwhile, New York City has seen a surge in Russians moving to the Big Apple as they try to escape the ongoing war with Ukraine.
The number of Russians with cases in New York state Immigration Court — which rules on asylum/deportation cases — has jumped 158% over the past year, data obtained by The Post revealed.
There were 3,098 cases involving Russian nationals in New York immigration courts for the federal fiscal year covering October 31, 2021 to September 30, 2022.
As of Sunday, the number of asylum cases involving Russian nationals jumped to 8,002 for the current fiscal year starting Oct. 1. 2022, until this September 30.
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
