American espionage in the Soviet Union and Russian Federation explained

The United States of America has conducted espionage against the Soviet Union and its successor state, the Russian Federation.

Soviet Union

See main article: Cold War espionage and CIA activities in the Soviet Union.

Throughout the Cold War, acts of espionage, or spying, became prevalent as tension between the United States and Soviet Union increased.^[1] Information played a crucial role in the Cold War and would be essential to a victory of either side. Both the United States and Soviet Union understood this fact and invested greatly in espionage missions and technology.

Russian Federation

According to U.S. government officials, as of 2016 the United States Intelligence Community had earmarked up to 10-percent of its budgets "to Russia-related espionage".^[2]

Incidents

• In 2000 a former U.S. naval intelligence officer was convicted of espionage by a Russian court and sentenced to 20 years in prison, however, was later pardoned by Russian president Vladimir Putin. At the time of his arrest, the man had been seeking to purchase technical details about a Russian rocket-propelled torpedo; he later claimed he had only been seeking unclassified information regarding the torpedo for his technical consulting business.^[3]
• In 2013 Ryan Fogle, the third secretary at the U.S. embassy in Moscow, was deported from Russia after Russian counterintelligence officers caught him carrying two wigs, three pairs of sunglasses, a Moscow street atlas, $130,000 in cash, and "a letter offering up to $1-million a year for long-term cooperation".^{[4] [5] [6] [7] [8]}
• In 2017 a cybersecurity specialist working in the Federal Security Service was arrested by Russian authorities on suspicion of passing information to U.S. intelligence.^[9]

See also

• Operation Ivy Bells
• Operation Lincoln
• 1960 U-2 incident
• List of American spies
• Arrest of Mark Kaminsky and Harvey Bennett
• Global surveillance disclosures (2013–present)
• United States intelligence operations abroad
• Soviet espionage in the United States
• Russian espionage in the United States
• List of Soviet agents in the United States
• Espionage Act of 1917

Notes and References

1. Book: Jussi M. Hanhimäki. The Cold War: A History in Documents and Eyewitness Accounts. Odd Arne Westad. Oxford University Press. 2004. 978-0-19-927280-8. 445–.
2. News: Miller. Greg. As Russia reasserts itself, U.S. intelligence agencies focus anew on the Kremlin. 12 May 2017. The Washington Post. 14 September 2016.
3. News: Tavernise. Sabrina. American Jailed as Spy in Moscow Is Freed on Putin's Orders; U.S. Welcomes Gesture. May 12, 2017. The New York Times. December 15, 2000.
4. News: Haynes. Gavin. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Dickhead. 12 May 2017. Vice Magazine. 20 May 2013.
5. News: Goldman. Russell. Spies vs. spies: How the Cold War lives on between Russia and the United States. 12 May 2017. Globe & Mail. 5 Jan 2017.
6. News: Ryan Fogle: Russia to expel diplomat arrested trying to recruit for CIA. 12 May 2017. The Guardian. 15 May 2013.
7. News: Englund . Will . Lally . Kathy . Ryan C. Fogle, U.S. diplomat accused of spying, ordered to leave Russia . . 14 May 2013 . 28 November 2023 . 30 June 2013 . https://archive.today/20130630141402/http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/russia-says-it-detained-us-spy/2013/05/14/d8bdf394-bc86-11e2-9b09-1638acc3942e_story.html.
8. News: Weiss . Michael . Michael Weiss (journalist) . Mark Galeotti on Today’s Spy Saga . The Interpreter . 14 May 2013 . 28 November 2023 . 29 November 2023 . https://archive.today/20231129044001/https://www.interpretermag.com/mark-galeotti-on-todays-spy-saga/.
9. News: Police Arrest Alleged U.S. Spy Working in Heart of Russian Cybersecurity. May 12, 2017. Moscow Times. January 26, 2017.