Unmasking a GRU agent.

[Ricardodaforce]

A long but fascinating read about how collaborative journalism unmasked a Russian agent.

Socialite, Widow, Jeweller, Spy: How a GRU Agent Charmed Her Way Into NATO Circles in Italy - bellingcat

A Russian spy with an unconventional Peruvian backstory, and a chaotic private life, managed to befriend and engage numerous staff and officers at a NATO base in Italy, a Bellingcat investigation has found.

www.bellingcat.com

 

[lindsay]

Reminds me of the history of Geoffrey Prime, erstwhile Russian spy working at GCHQ. I met him when he was a wine promoter and seller shortly after leaving GCHQ, completely unaware of his spying activities of course. Another sleazy salesman charmer I thought at the time.
Geoffrey Prime

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

The important thing to remember is that one man's spy is another woman's patriotic hero.

The old saying about glasshouses and stones is as true here as anywhere.

 

[JohnC6]

Near the end of that fascinating article I noticed that the invasion of Ukraine came one day after Russia's day of "Defenders of the Motherland" celebrated among military officers. I wonder what the conversation was on that day, Februay 23rd... between Olga Kolobova and the head of Dept 5 of the GRU who had called Major General Averyanov commander of GRU unit 29155 4 years earlier re the outing by Bellingcat of the consecutive passport numbers mentioned at the start of the article re the Salisbury Skripol poisonings ?

I'm sure I read or heard that one of the two GRU spies involved has since died.