Ex-KGB: Russia has more spies in US
Source: Agencies |
June 30, 2010, Wednesday
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ONE of the Cold War's most famous defectors says Russia may have as many as 50 deep-cover couples spying inside the United States.
Oleg Gordievsky, a former deputy head of the KGB in London who defected in 1985, said Russian President Dmitry Medvedev would know the number of illegal operatives in each target country.
The 71-year-old ex-double agent told The Associated Press yesterday that, based on his experience in Russian intelligence, he estimates that Moscow likely has 40 to 50 couples operating under cover in the US.
"For the KGB, there's usually 40 to 50 couples, all illegal," said Gordievsky, who defected to Britain after supplying information during the Cold War to the UK's MI6 overseas spy agency.
Gordievsky said he spent nine years working in the KGB directorate in charge of illegal spy teams. "The president will know the number, and in each country how many - but not their names," Gordievsky said.
The FBI announced on Monday the arrests of 10 alleged deep cover Russian agents after tracking the suspects for years. They are accused of attempting to infiltrate US policy-making circles while posing as ordinary citizens. All 10 are charged with conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the US attorney general - an offense with a maximum penalty of five years in prison. An 11th person allegedly involved in the Russian spy ring was arrested yesterday in Cyprus.
In Moscow, Russia called the arrests an unjustified throwback to the Cold War, and senior lawmakers said some in the US government may be trying to undercut President Barack Obama's warming relations with Moscow.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said it was regrettable that the arrests came amid Obama's push for a "reset" in Russian-US ties.
"These actions are unfounded and pursue unseemly goals," the Foreign Ministry said. "We don't understand the reasons which prompted the US Department of Justice to make a public statement in the spirit of Cold War-era spy stories."
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that US authorities announced the arrest days after Medvedev visited the US and Obama.
When ask if those arrested were Russian spies, the Russia Foreign Ministry and the foreign intelligence service refused to comment.
Oleg Gordievsky, a former deputy head of the KGB in London who defected in 1985, said Russian President Dmitry Medvedev would know the number of illegal operatives in each target country.
The 71-year-old ex-double agent told The Associated Press yesterday that, based on his experience in Russian intelligence, he estimates that Moscow likely has 40 to 50 couples operating under cover in the US.
"For the KGB, there's usually 40 to 50 couples, all illegal," said Gordievsky, who defected to Britain after supplying information during the Cold War to the UK's MI6 overseas spy agency.
Gordievsky said he spent nine years working in the KGB directorate in charge of illegal spy teams. "The president will know the number, and in each country how many - but not their names," Gordievsky said.
The FBI announced on Monday the arrests of 10 alleged deep cover Russian agents after tracking the suspects for years. They are accused of attempting to infiltrate US policy-making circles while posing as ordinary citizens. All 10 are charged with conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the US attorney general - an offense with a maximum penalty of five years in prison. An 11th person allegedly involved in the Russian spy ring was arrested yesterday in Cyprus.
In Moscow, Russia called the arrests an unjustified throwback to the Cold War, and senior lawmakers said some in the US government may be trying to undercut President Barack Obama's warming relations with Moscow.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said it was regrettable that the arrests came amid Obama's push for a "reset" in Russian-US ties.
"These actions are unfounded and pursue unseemly goals," the Foreign Ministry said. "We don't understand the reasons which prompted the US Department of Justice to make a public statement in the spirit of Cold War-era spy stories."
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that US authorities announced the arrest days after Medvedev visited the US and Obama.
When ask if those arrested were Russian spies, the Russia Foreign Ministry and the foreign intelligence service refused to comment.
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