The Economist: Why Russia’s security services are more dangerous than ever

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• Spies no longer carry cell phones.
• The priority is a possible Russian conflict with NATO.
• Started working with foreign students studying in Russia.
• Problems arose because of J. Prigožin’s son.
• Errors by security services.

The RUSI study was prepared by Center experts Jack Watling and Nick Reynolds, and Oleksandr Danyliuk, a former adviser to Ukraine’s defense minister. It is based on documents obtained from Russian intelligence services and data from Ukrainian and European intelligence services.

The study states that in 2022 By the end of the 2000s, Russia realized that it needed more accurate information from its intelligence services. As a result, the first deputy head of the presidential administration, Sergei Kiriyenka, headed “special influence committees” that coordinate operations against the West and then assess their impact.

This seems to have made Russian propaganda more consistent. RUSI cites Moldova as an example, where disinformation attempts have become more consistent and targeted.

Campaigns aimed at undermining European support for Ukraine have also intensified. Month of January. German experts have uncovered a network of 50,000 bots on the social network X (formerly Twitter) that spread hundreds of thousands of messages in German every day. At the same time, French law enforcement authorities uncovered a large network of Russian-coordinated websites spreading disinformation in France, Germany and Poland.

Russia’s military intelligence service, better known as the GRU, has also undergone massive reform. General Andrey Averyanov, who commanded military unit 29155 (which was responsible for operations abroad, including the poisoning of ex-GRU officer Sergei Skripal), despite numerous failures, was promoted to the post of deputy head of the GRU and established a new “Special Operations Service”.

Spies no longer carry cell phones

Unit 29155 members no longer bring cell phones to work, using landlines instead. Training takes place not in the unit, but in various hiding places. In addition, the structure headed by A. Averjanov abandoned the practice of military recruitment. As a result, most recruits now have no military experience, making it difficult for Western intelligence agencies to identify such personnel.

A separate unit of the “Special Operations Service” (54654) is involved in the creation of a network of illegal immigrants. He recruits spies through front companies, which allows him to hide the names of the illegals. In addition, the GRU began sending spies to foreign ministries not related to defense, as well as to private companies.

Started working with foreign students studying in Russia

Russian military intelligence has also begun working with foreign students studying at Russian universities, as well as paying scholarships to students from the Balkans, Africa and other developing countries. Finally, Russian intelligence services intensified recruitment among Russians who had left the country.

Russian security services quickly shared the identity of Yevgeny Prigozhin, who was killed in 2023. in August during the plane crash, empire, writes RUSI. The FSB took control of his Russian structures, the SVR took control of his media empire, including the “troll factory”, and the GRU went to paramilitary structures, both fighting in Ukraine and stationed in other countries (the latter are now headed by General Averyanov).

Problems arose because of J. Prigožin’s son

Structures deployed in other countries were supposed to employ 20,000 workers last year, but did not fulfill the plan, RUSI reported. Another problem, according to the authors of the report, arose from J. Prigožin’s son, who mysteriously remained alive and at large. He proposed that the Rosgvard take control of the Wagner group, after which the GRU had to negotiate with the Rosgvard.

As proof of the return of Russian intelligence power, RUSI presents the story of Artyom Usa, the son of the former governor of the Krasnoyarsk region, who managed to evade arrest in Italy.

The priority is a possible Russian conflict with NATO

RUSI says that the priority of Russian intelligence is to prepare for a possible Russian conflict with NATO. Moscow will focus not only on the theft of secrets, but also on strengthening divisions within NATO, weakening Western support for Ukraine, and weakening Western influence in the “Global South.”

Errors by security services

Over the past 10 years, Russian security services have been embroiled in a number of high-profile scandals. The most high-profile failures were the failed attempts to poison former GRU officer Sergei Skripal and politician Alexei Navalny, who himself investigated his own poisoning with the help of the Bellingcat group. In addition, the media has written extensively about the inaccurate information provided by Russian intelligence services to the Russian leadership, including President Vladimir Putin, before the war in Ukraine.