Sabotage and secret identities: Russia's spy network
Shaun Walker is the Guardian's central and eastern Europe correspondent and author of The Illegals: Russia's Most Audacious Spies and the Plot to Infiltrate the West.
He tells Helen Pidd about the history of Russia's 'Illegals' programme, and how Russian intelligence operates in western countries today.
'It's become much harder for Russia to send its operatives abroad,' Shaun tells Helen. 'What we're seeing, with those traditional programmes like the illegals and assassins, is a new campaign of sabotage across Europe that actually doesn't require Russia's spies even to leave Russian territory and uses proxies to carry out the act.'
They also discuss the impact on the children of Russian illegals. You can read Shaun's Long Read about one of those stories, 'I am not who you think I am': how a deep-cover KGB spy recruited his own son.
Shaun will be speaking alongside Christo Grozev and Daniela Richterova at a Guardian Live event on Thursday 22 May 2025. You can buy tickets here.
Support the Guardian today: theguardian.com/todayinfocuspod
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC News
an hour ago
- NBC News
Hungary's LGBTQ+ community defies government ban on Pride march
BUDAPEST, Hungary — Hungary's LGBTQ+ community is preparing for a face-off with the country's autocratic government, and plans to push ahead with a march in the capital on Saturday despite a government ban and threats of legal repercussions. The populist party of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in March fast-tracked a law through parliament that made it an offense to hold or attend events that 'depict or promote' homosexuality to minors aged under 18. Orbán earlier made clear that Budapest Pride — marking its 30th anniversary this year — was the explicit target of the law. But on Friday, Pride organizers along with Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony, European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib and Vice President of the European Parliament Nicolae Stefanuta said the march will take place Saturday despite official threats of heavy fines for participants and even jail time for the liberal mayor. They expect the march to be the largest ever Pride event in Hungary. 'The government is always fighting against an enemy against which they have to protect Hungarian people ... This time, it is sexual minorities that are the target,' Karácsony told a news conference. 'We believe there should be no first and second class citizens, so we decided to stand by this event.' A crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights Critics of the Pride ban and other Hungarian legislation targeting LGBTQ+ communities say the policies are reminiscent of similar restrictions against sexual minorities in Russia. Hungary's recent law allows authorities to use facial recognition tools to identify individuals that attend a prohibited event. Being caught could result in fines of up to 200,000 Hungarian forints ($586.) Orbán, seen as Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest ally in the European Union, has in recent years prohibited same-sex adoption and banned any LGBTQ+ content including in television, films, advertisements and literature that is available to minors. His government argues exposure to such content negatively affects children's development. But opponents say the moves are part of a broader effort to scapegoat sexual minorities and consolidate his conservative base. Fines and facial recognition After police rejected several requests by organizers to register the Pride march, citing the recent law, Karácsony joined with organizers and declared it would be held as a separate municipal event — something he said does not require police approval. But Hungary's government has remained firm, insisting that holding the Pride march, even if it is sponsored by the city, would be unlawful. In a video on Facebook this week, Hungary's justice minister, Bence Tuzson, warned Karácsony that organizing Pride or encouraging people to attend is punishable by up to a year in prison. At the news conference Friday, Karácsony sought to dispel fears that police would impose heavy fines on Pride attendees. 'Police have only one task tomorrow: to guarantee the safety and security of those gathered at the event,' he said. Speaking to state radio on Friday, Orbán said that attending Pride 'will have legal consequences, but it can't reach the level of physical abuse.' 'The police could disperse such events, they have the right to do so. But Hungary is a civilized country,' he said. Right-wing counter-demonstrations On Thursday, radical right-wing party Our Homeland Movement announced it had requested police approval to hold assemblies at numerous locations across the city, many of them on the same route as the Pride march. Later, a neo-Nazi group said it too would gather Saturday at Budapest City Hall, from which the Pride march is set to depart. The group declared that only 'white, Christian, heterosexual men and women' were welcome to attend its demonstration. European officials respond Hungary's Pride ban has prompted a backlash from many of the country's partners and allies. Over 30 foreign embassies signed a joint statement this week expressing their commitment to 'every person's rights to equal treatment and nondiscrimination, freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.' European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen posted on social platform X on Wednesday, calling on Hungarian authorities to allow Pride to proceed 'without fear of any criminal or administrative sanctions against the organizers or participants.' More than 70 members of the European Parliament, as well as other officials from countries around Europe, are expected to participate in Saturday's march. Lahbib, the European Commissioner, said Friday that 'all eyes are on Budapest' as Pride marchers defy the government's ban. 'The EU is not neutral on hate,' she said. 'We cannot stay passive. We cannot tolerate what is intolerable.'
Daily Record
3 hours ago
- Daily Record
Parents of teen who plunged to his death say he was 'trying to escape' and not suicidal
The Met Police is facing mounting criticism over its handling of the mysterious death of a teen, who plunged from a luxury riverside apartment across from MI6 HQ. The parents of a 19-year-old public schoolboy who plunged to his death from a luxury apartment across from MI6 HQ insist he wasn't suicidal and the police should have done more. Zac Brettler, a pupil at the £30,000-a-year Mill Hill School in north London, died in 2019 after falling from the Riverwalk apartment complex on the banks of the Thames. The MI6 building's CCTV captured his fall, reports the Mirror. The teenager, who was said to be oligarch-obsessed, had spun wild stories about being a Kazakh millionaire, a friend of Virgil Van Dijk, and the son of a dead Russian oligarch. He was found dead with 'drowning and multiple injuries', according to the coroner. His jaw was broken, but the cause of that injury remains unexplained. Now, grieving parents Rochelle and Matthew Brettler, both 61, are demanding answers, accusing detectives of showing 'no curiosity' and failing to pursue critical evidence, The Times reports. Zac's father told The Sunday Times: 'I knew Zac and it just wasn't right, the overnight bag he'd taken, the messages he'd sent, the plans we'd made. It didn't sit well with anybody, not out of any stigma issue, but it didn't. Also, who commits suicide in front of someone else?' Scotland Yard originally treated Zac's death as suicide, reportedly not even attending the flat until four days later. It's reported that forensic opportunities were missed, including blood-like smears in the bathroom and bedroom, and a wiped section of glass on the balcony from which Zac is believed to have fallen. None of it was tested, the family says. Zac's grieving parents say he was trying to escape from whatever was inside the room, not attempting to end his own life. On the night he died, Zac had even emailed his mum about booking a driving test and packed an overnight bag with clothes for several days. Zac's final night was spent with two men: Dave 'Indian Dave' Sharma, 55, a known gangster with a heroin-smuggling past, and Akbar Shamji, 52, a cryptocurrency trader and son of a wealthy Tory donor. Both men were in a financial dispute with Zac. They were arrested on suspicion of murder but never charged. In a sinister twist, Sharma was later found dead in the same flat in 2020, from what was reported as a drug overdose. Two days before his death, Zac told a friend his family had been threatened, and he had searched online for information about witness protection, according to The Times. Text messages from the day Zac died appear to paint a chilling picture. At 4.30 pm, Sharma wrote: 'He's not allowed to run away now.' Six hours later, a string of disturbing messages followed: 'Heating up knives and cleaning the blood,' Sharma texted. In a voice note, he added: 'Come to f*** ing Pimlico and pick up this f*** ing car and drop me home, bro. I don't wanna drive right now. And give me the f***ing pill when you get here, man, s***t's about to go wrong. Wrong!' Zac, also known by the name Zac Ismailov, had become fascinated by wealth and power during his time at Mill Hill, where many students were the children of Russian elites. He claimed to be the heir to a fortune blocked by his mum in Dubai. According to one report, he hoped to go into business with Sharma, who had been previously arrested in 2002 for heroin smuggling, and was later linked to a gangland murder in 2003. Sharma fled to France to avoid capture, dodging a Europol manhunt, and later returned to London without being arrested, leading Zac's father to question if Sharma had become an informant. In response to mounting criticism, a Met Police spokesperson said: 'Our sincere condolences remain with Zac Brettler's family, and we understand the uncertainty about how their son died must continue to be the cause of unimaginable pain. 'Whenever someone dies unexpectedly in London, we have established policing protocols to follow, and the investigation into Zac's death was led by an experienced detective. 'The team worked hard to explore every possible hypothesis, which were shared with Zac's family, but ultimately we were not able to provide fuller answers. The case was also reviewed by specialist homicide detectives to ensure every line of enquiry had been exhausted. 'As with any case, we would always encourage anyone who believes they have additional information or evidence to contact police. Any new information will be examined on its own merit by a team led by experienced detectives.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Teen died in London fall from luxury apartments, parents fear foul play
The parents of a teen who plunged to his death from a luxury apartment insist he wasn't suicidal and the police should have done more. Zac Brettler had emailed his mum the night before the incident about booking a driving test The Met Police is facing mounting criticism over its handling of the mysterious death of a 19-year-old public schoolboy, who plunged from a luxury riverside apartment across from MI6 HQ. Zac Brettler, a pupil at the £30,000-a-year Mill Hill School in north London, died in 2019 after falling from the Riverwalk apartment complex on the banks of the Thames. The MI6 building's CCTV captured his fall. The teenager, who was said to be oligarch-obsessed, had spun wild stories about being a Kazakh millionaire, a friend of Virgil van Dijk, and the son of a dead Russian oligarch. He was found dead with 'drowning and multiple injuries', according to the coroner. His jaw was broken, but the cause of that injury remains unexplained. Now, grieving parents Rochelle and Matthew Brettler, both 61, are demanding answers, accusing detectives of showing 'no curiosity' and failing to pursue critical evidence, The Times reports. Zac's father told The Sunday Times: 'I knew Zac and it just wasn't right, the overnight bag he'd taken, the messages he'd sent, the plans we'd made. It didn't sit well with anybody, not out of any stigma issue, but it didn't. Also, who commits suicide in front of someone else?' Scotland Yard originally treated Zac's death as suicide, reportedly not even attending the flat until four days later. It's reported that forensic opportunities were missed, including blood-like smears in the bathroom and bedroom, and a wiped section of glass on the balcony from which Zac is believed to have fallen. None of it was tested, the family says. Zac's grieving parents say he was trying to escape from whatever was inside the room, not attempting to end his own life. On the night he died, Zac had even emailed his mum about booking a driving test and packed an overnight bag with clothes for several days. Zac's final night was spent with two men: Dave 'Indian Dave' Sharma, 55, a known gangster with a heroin-smuggling past, and Akbar Shamji, 52, a cryptocurrency trader and son of a wealthy Tory donor. Both men were in a financial dispute with Zac. They were arrested on suspicion of murder but never charged. In a sinister twist, Sharma was later found dead in the same flat in 2020, from what was reported as a drug overdose. Two days before his death, Zac told a friend his family had been threatened, and he had searched online for information about witness protection, according to The Times. Text messages from the day Zac died appear to paint a chilling picture. At 4.30 pm, Sharma wrote: 'He's not allowed to run away now.' Six hours later, a string of disturbing messages followed: 'Heating up knives and cleaning the blood,' Sharma texted.,= In a voice note, he added: 'Come to f*** ing Pimlico and pick up this f* ** ing car and drop me home, bro. I don't wanna drive right now. And give me the f***ing pill when you get here, man, s***t's about to go wrong. Wrong!' Zac, also known by the name Zac Ismailov, had become fascinated by wealth and power during his time at Mill Hill, where many students were the children of Russian elites. He claimed to be the heir to a fortune blocked by his mum in Dubai. According to one report, he hoped to go into business with Sharma, who had been previously arrested in 2002 for heroin smuggling, and was later linked to a gangland murder in 2003. Sharma fled to France to avoid capture, dodging a Europol manhunt, and later returned to London without being arrested, leading Zac's father to question if Sharma had become an informant. In response to mounting criticism, a Met Police spokesperson said: 'Our sincere condolences remain with Zac Brettler's family, and we understand the uncertainty about how their son died must continue to be the cause of unimaginable pain. 'Whenever someone dies unexpectedly in London, we have established policing protocols to follow, and the investigation into Zac's death was led by an experienced detective. 'The team worked hard to explore every possible hypothesis, which were shared with Zac's family, but ultimately we were not able to provide fuller answers. The case was also reviewed by specialist homicide detectives to ensure every line of enquiry had been exhausted. 'As with any case, we would always encourage anyone who believes they have additional information or evidence to contact police. Any new information will be examined on its own merit by a team led by experienced detectives.'
