011-16-2010

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, responding to questions from reporters Friday in Seoul, commented on the July arrest of a network of Russian spies in the U.S. The President's words on this subject can be interpreted as an indirect recognition of the authenticity of the story about the traitor that burned the agents in the US and about which the Kommersant newspaper published a story. Earlier, official and unofficial sources in the SVR refuted the facts in the story and tried to present the whole thing as the fantasy of journalists.

        President Medvedev said he was familiar with the story, but could not comment on any further action. The Kommersant article said that the Russian spy network in the U.S. failed because of the treachery of a certain Colonel Shcherbakov, who has long served as the SVR Chief of department "S".

        Immediately after the expulsion of the 10 Russian agents, the foreign media wrote about them as lay people, who did not perform any tasks and who had not been activated and that the FBI had not had any problems exposing them. At the same time, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, right after the arrival of the spies in Moscow, stressed that the failure of Russian agents was the fault of a traitor. Vladimir Putin said he knew the names of the traitors, and these people always end up badly – either alcohol or drug abuse will eventually kill them.

        On the eve the SVR categorically denied the story, described by the Kommersant, because it has too many inaccuracies and absurdities. Professionals agree that even if a portion of the data contained in the material is true, in general, it is a fictional story, and no Colonel Shcherbakov, or someone like him with a different name exists. However, a senior official in the Russian intelligence community said that the publication about the traitor contains more fiction than fact, but it does not mean that the Counterintelligence service does not have any problems.

        According to the source, this failure has demonstrated that major changes are needed in the structure of Russian intelligence, especially changes in personnel management and strengthening of the Counterintelligence office.  

        "Personnel management and ensuring the work of counter-intelligence - are key issues in the effectiveness of Russian intelligence in the future. The internal investigation being carried out in SVR should establish the true reasons behind the recruitment of one of the SVR’s leading staff by the U.S. intelligence services. It is equally important to calculate the period in which the recruitment was carried out"- said the source. The source also suggested that the betrayal scandal should not destroy the entire Russian spy network that operates in the U.S.