Latest news with #counterintelligence
ABC News
30-05-2025
- General
- ABC News
Russia is expanding its espionage output at a 'staggeringly reckless' rate. Here's why
Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, European countries have expelled at least 750 Russian diplomats accused of espionage. NATO says it has been the largest counterintelligence operation in the West since the Cold War. In early May, six Bulgarian spies were jailed in the United Kingdom for feeding sensitive information to Russia. NATO's deputy assistant secretary-general James Appathurai said Russia had a "higher risk appetite" towards espionage in 2025, and he believed the nation had increased its spying output. Richard Moore, head of MI6, the UK's foreign intelligence agency, said Russia was on a "mission to generate mayhem". Dennis Desmond, a former special agent with the US Defense Intelligence Agency, said the arrests and charges the world saw were just the "tip of the iceberg". He said for every Russian spy caught, there was a much larger, much scarier number still operating. Russia's security and espionage network falls into three branches — the Federal Security Service (FSB), the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) and the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces (GRU). In 2022, according to a Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) report, Russia changed how it deployed spy operations "to prepare for destabilisation" in Europe and further afield. It found Russia made changes to its spy program in reaction to "the eventual counterintelligence regime" from Ukraine's allies. The report's primary conclusions were that Russia's special services were actively seeking to expand in order to pose strategic threats to NATO members. A NATO analysis said it was concerned by the "intensifying campaign of activities which Russia continues to carry out across the Euro-Atlantic area", and that Russia poses a "threat to Allied security". The RUSI report says the GRU "is restructuring how it manages the recruitment and training of special forces troops" and is "rebuilding" its apparatus to a higher level than before. A separate report went a step further to say Russia was "conducting an escalating and violent campaign of sabotage and subversion" led by Russian military intelligence (GRU), according to a new CSIS database of Russian activity. A lot of this escalation is happening in two GRU units — Unit 29155 and Unit 54654. Recruitment to Unit 29155 focuses on individuals without military backgrounds, trained within the GRU, reflecting a shift towards generating cleanskins — someone not on the radar of any security services — for operations. Unit 54654 operates differently. It recruits personnel without military contracts and contractors, through front companies to avoid government records. There are other GRU organisations involved in subversive activities — particularly cyber intelligence — such as Unit 26165, also known as Fancy Bear, and Unit 74455, also referred to as Sandworm. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the European Union, the UK and the United States have all imposed sanctions on it aimed at cutting oil revenues that are funding the war. The sanctions have led to the rise of a vast "shadow fleet" of tankers helping Moscow keep its crude exports flowing and funding its war plans. Dr Desmond said the sanctions "don't really hurt Russia" as intended. "They've already got so many sanctions against them, and Western nations are going to keep making more sanctions, and really that hurts the population, not the government or politicians," he said. "Russia is going to continue to do what they do through the support of China, North Korea, Iran, Venezuela and other countries who are able to circumvent sanctions and provide support." He said these sympathetic nations were "assisting Russia intelligence collection" to build what he described as a "giant vacuum" of information that no matter the sanctions or restrictions, Russia will continue to operate. "Yes, Australians should be concerned about Russian — and other — spies potentially operating in Australia," Sarah Kendall, an expert in legislative response to espionage said. ASIO director-general Mike Burgess said in February that "it is conceivable Russia could also target Australia for sabotage". "The war in Europe prompted a more aggressive and reckless Russian intelligence apparatus to target Ukraine's supporters, including Australia," he said. Dr Kendall said Russian spies were not only targeting government officials or those with access to classified information. "They are targeting a wide range of people for a wide range of information, including information that may seem innocuous," she said. "Because of this, we all have a role to play in security." We have already seen allegations of Russian spying on Australian soil — Kira and Igor Korolev were charged with spying offences in 2024. But ASIO says it has increased its counterespionage work since then and uses Australia's strong laws against espionage and foreign interference. "ASIO's more aggressive counterespionage posture has made it more difficult and expensive for foreign spies to operate in Australia," Mr Burgess said. Dr Desmond said there could be more spies operating on our shores, and they would be "very difficult to identify". "They eat, sleep, look like, sound like and act like Australians," he said. "They engage in clandestine collection operations, they recruit sources and agents, and they conduct sabotage assassinations. The Western world is well aware of Russia's increased espionage output over recent years but fear of "uncontained escalation" is stopping the West from properly extinguishing the mounting threat, according to the RUSI report. The report highlighted to the West that Russia was expanding its influence to "evade containment, and destabilise and disrupt its adversaries". The report states that spy work is not new in Russia, and no matter how long it takes "they have the patience to keep going". "They will continue to engage in espionage, they will continue to engage in strategic planning and operations in order to be successful at gaining the information intelligence that they absolutely need," Dr Desmond said. He said they do this while "simultaneously influencing decision makers abroad through disinformation campaigns" and "influencing political decisions and elections where they can". In his opinion the West is already at war with Russia — a "cyber espionage war".
The Guardian
22-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
FBI whistleblower claims he tried to get to Musk to warn him he was being targeted by Russia
A former FBI counterintelligence agent turned whistleblower has claimed he tried to gain access to Elon Musk in 2022 to warn the billionaire that he was the target of a covert Russian campaign seeking to infiltrate his inner circle, possibly to gain access to sensitive information. Johnathan Buma, who was arrested by the FBI earlier this year on a misdemeanor charge of disclosing confidential information, said in an interview that he tried – but ultimately failed – to gain access to Musk to personally brief and 'inoculate' him against 'outreach from the Kremlin'. Buma, who is on bail and living in Arizona after his 17 March arrest at New York's Kennedy airport, spoke to both ZDF, the German broadcaster, and the Guardian. He has also recently filed paperwork to run as a Democratic candidate for a congressional House seat in Arizona. The 48-year-old did not provide specific details about why he believed Musk was being targeted by Russian operatives, but said it involved individuals he believed were being 'placed' in Musk's inner circle at the time and were gaining influence with him. 'Those efforts were intense and they were ongoing,' he said. 'I can't go into too much more detail.' Musk, the world's richest man, was not under investigation and was not suspected of wrongdoing, Buma said. Reporting by the Wall Street Journal indicates that Buma was not the only person who was concerned about individuals who were gaining access to Musk at that time. A July 2022 article reported that Jared Birchall, who serves as Musk's wealth manager, had 'cornered' his boss to discuss his concerns about a then new adviser to the Tesla CEO named Igor Kurganov, a Russian-born ex-professional gambler. Birchall reportedly saw Kurganov as a 'newcomer who suddenly had immense influence on what to do with Musk's money'. The Journal described how Kurganov had spent time sleeping in Musk's home during the pandemic, and that Musk reportedly told Birchall he was considering leaving Kurganov in charge of his charitable giving. Musk's personal fortune was worth about $230bn at the time. The Journal said it was basing its reporting on more than a dozen people close to Musk, Birchall and Kurganov. The newspaper also reported at the time that Birchall had learned that an FBI agent had been making preliminary inquiries into Kurganov as part of his job 'to watch for foreign interference in US companies', citing people familiar with the matter. Kurganov had not been accused of wrongdoing, the Journal reported, and he did not provide a comment to the newspaper at the time. The Guardian is not aware of Kurganov being named as a foreign agent, and he has no known connections to Russia, other than having been born there. Efforts to reach him directly did not elicit a response. The Guardian also reached out to Kurganov's wife, Liv Boeree, a professional poker player. She said in an emailed statement: 'My husband's only connection to Russia is that he was pushed out of his Mum's vagina on its soil.' In his interview with the Guardian, Buma said he did not have direct dealings with Musk. He said he tried to convey his concerns to another agent, who was described as an FBI liaison to SpaceX, but claimed the other agent was not responsive. Birchall, the Wall Street Journal reported, asked Musk to remove Kurganov from his post at Musk's private foundation in May 2022, which Musk then agreed to do. The FBI's national press office did not respond to a request for comment. The Guardian also reached out to the FBI's Los Angeles field office, which declined to comment. Musk did not respond to an emailed request for comment. The Guardian attempted to call and send messages to Birchall via WhatsApp but he did not respond. Buma's new claims follow earlier reporting by Business Insider and the Atlantic about Buma's relationship with another prominent billionaire, Peter Thiel, who reportedly became a source for the FBI in 2021. Buma, it has previously been reported, was Thiel's handler. It is not clear whether Thiel has maintained a source relationship with the FBI. Thiel and Musk have a long history together. The two both spent their early years in South Africa. Thiel founded PayPal, the online payment company where Musk also served as CEO before he was reportedly ousted by Thiel and his allies. The two are believed to be on good terms, with Thiel crediting Musk's support for Trump with helping other Silicon Valley leaders support the US president in the run-up to last year's presidential election. In his interview with the Guardian, Buma said Thiel had been 'receptive to collaboration [with the FBI] and threat briefings'. 'The purpose of the briefings was to educate [Thiel] about what to look out for, what a targeting looks like, what it's like to be bumped by a foreign intelligence agent, and then what to do when that's done,' Buma said. 'He essentially confirmed and provided helpful information to help us identify the nodes through which these outreaches have occurred.' Thiel did not respond to a request for comment. Buma has been a controversial figure inside the FBI since he filed his first internal complaint in the bureau in January 2022. An FBI affidavit, filed on 18 March in the US district court in California in connection to his arrest, describes him as working in various capacities over his 15-year career at the bureau, where from 2013 to 2022 he focused on counterintelligence and counterproliferation matters. Until December 2022, the FBI has said, his responsibilities included managing 'confidential human sources'. Buma has described himself as specializing for a decade in public corruption and Russian foreign counterintelligence operations, a role that he said led the FBI to train him to speak and read Russian. In January 2019, a tip from one of Buma's sources led to the FBI's first inquiry into possible tax evasion by Joe Biden's son Hunter, who was a director at the Ukrainian company Burisma. Hunter Biden pleaded guilty in 2024 to federal tax evasion charges connected to his foreign business deals. He was later pardoned by his father, the then president Joe Biden, who in a statement said he believed his son had been 'selectively and unfairly prosecuted'. Buma was also involved in an FBI investigation into possibly illegal lobbying and campaign violations involving Rudy Giuliani, the former prosecutor, mayor of New York and personal attorney to Donald Trump. Giuliani's home and office were raided in 2021 in connection to FBI suspicions around his dealings with Ukrainian figures, but all of the investigations were ultimately dropped and Giuliani was never charged with any crime as a result of the inquiry. Buma began seeking whistleblower protection, both inside the FBI and later in Congress, beginning in 2022, when he began to report what he called 'highly suspicious suppression of investigations and intelligence gathering' in matters related to the Russian intelligence service. At the heart of his allegations, which were submitted to the Senate judiciary committee in a 22-page statement, was Buma's contention that investigations into Giuliani had been quashed and that he had faced internal FBI retaliation, which he said led to the suppression of his intelligence reporting. It also led, Buma said, to his diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder on 25 October 2023. At that time, he began to take unpaid leave from the FBI. Weeks later, on 13 November 2023, federal law enforcement officials raided Buma's home, according to the FBI affidavit filed in March 2025. The affidavit claimed that agents found 'numerous' FBI documents, including a compilation of emails, in that search. But Buma was not arrested at that time. He remained on unpaid leave from the FBI until he submitted a resignation letter on 16 March 2025. The FBI affidavit also alleged that Buma began emailing chapters of a book draft to associates between October and December 2023, including information that the FBI said was subject to restrictions. The FBI has alleged that Buma sent messages to individuals at that time that discussed his involvement in press reports about confidential human sources. Buma has denied wrongdoing. Even as the FBI officer was facing scrutiny, so was Elon Musk. The Wall Street Journal reported on 25 October 2024 that Musk, who had emerged as an important supporter of Donald Trump's re-election campaign, had been 'in regular contact' with Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, since late 2022. The report cited several current and former US, European and Russian officials and said the conversations touched on personal topics, business and geopolitical tensions. The Journal report also noted that the contacts raised potential national security concerns, given Musk's security clearance connected to SpaceX, which has billions of dollars in contracts with the Pentagon, and Musk's access to classified information. Musk did not respond to the Journal's request for comment at the time but posted a comment on X following the story's publication, including one tweet that said: 'Welp, the Swamp's 'Trump is Hitler' didn't work. Might as well give 'Elon is a Russian agent' a whirl.' Musk has had a high-profile role at the White House since Trump's November 2024 election victory as the unofficial head of the so-called 'department of government efficiency', or Doge, which has overseen the firing of thousands of federal workers and an attempted dismantling of federal agencies. Among a myriad of controversies over Doge's actions was an official whistleblower complaint by a member of the IT department at the National Labor Relations Board, whose disclosure was detailed in a 15 April 2025 report by NPR. The whistleblower, Daniel Berulis, grew alarmed when technical staff members noticed a spike in sensitive data leaving the NLRB after Doge engineers were granted access to the data, followed by what was described as 'suspicious log-in attempts' from an IP address in Russia. NPR said Berulis's account was corroborated by internal documentation that was reviewed by 11 technical experts across other government agencies and the private sector. The report added that Doge's access to data was a 'widespread concern'. The NLRB has denied that the agency granted Doge access and said it had determined that no breach of agency systems occurred. Buma was arrested on 17 March 2025, just weeks after Trump's new director of the FBI, Kash Patel, had been confirmed in his role. Buma said he was at Kennedy airport awaiting a flight to the UK, where he planned to have a meeting with the HarperCollins publisher Arabella Pike, when he was suddenly surrounded by agents. He was released on bail the next day. The bail included a restriction that he refrain from excessive use of alcohol. This restriction appears to arise from an October 2023 text message reviewed by the FBI. Buma denies drinking excessively. His meeting with Pike was canceled by the publisher after his arrest, according to a screenshot of a text message seen by the Guardian. Pike did not respond to a request for comment. Buma was arraigned in Los Angeles weeks after his arrest, on 1 May, and charged with a single misdemeanor. US prosecutors have claimed Buma 'knowingly published, divulged, disclosed, and made known' the identity and personal identifying information of an individual who was a confidential FBI source. Buma told the Guardian he believed this was related to the news report that publicly identified Thiel as an FBI source. He denied any involvement in the matter and has pleaded not guilty.
The National
14-05-2025
- The National
Former US National Guardsman charged with planning military base attack for ISIS in Michigan
A former member of the Michigan Army National Guard has been arrested and charged with planning a mass shooting on behalf of ISIS, US authorities said on Wednesday. The Justice Department said 19-year-old Ammar Abdulmajid-Mohamed Said planned to carry out the attack at a US military base near Detroit. 'The arrest of this former soldier is a sobering reminder of the importance of our counter-intelligence efforts to identify and disrupt those who would seek to harm our nation,' said Gen Rhett Cox, the commander of Army Counterintelligence Command. The criminal complaint filed in Eastern Michigan District Court alleges that Mr Said communicated with two undercover officers about a plan he had devised in April. The officers told Mr Said they intended to carry out his plan at the direction of ISIS, at which point the suspect allegedly provided equipment, including armour-piercing ammunition. He also flew his drone 'to conduct operational reconnaissance, training the undercover employees on firearms and the construction of Molotov cocktails for use during the attack, and planning numerous details of the attack including how to enter and which building to target', it is alleged. According to charging documents seen by The National, Mr Said discussed the pros and cons of various attack plans with undercover agents, including the potential use of napalm, a flammable petroleum gel. 'It will melt into your skin. Molotov by itself, it will catch fire but it will turn off pretty quick,' he allegedly said. The National has reached out to the lawyer listed as representing Mr Said. The former guardsman, who was discharged in or around December, also allegedly deliberated about how much ammunition to carry. 'I recommend everyone have about seven magazines because you don't want to be in there and run out of ammo,' documents state. The attack was scheduled for May 13, but instead Mr Said was arrested. If found guilty he could face two decades behind bars. A public affairs officer for the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan responded to that request and declined to make a comment "at this time."
The National
14-05-2025
- The National
Former US National Guardsman charged with planning military base attack for ISIS
A former member of the Michigan Army National Guard has been arrested and charged with planning a mass shooting on behalf of ISIS, US authorities said on Wednesday. The Justice Department said 19-year-old Ammar Abdulmajid-Mohamed Said planned to carry out the attack at a US military base near Detroit, Michigan. 'The arrest of this former soldier is a sobering reminder of the importance of our counter-intelligence efforts to identify and disrupt those who would seek to harm our nation,' said Gen Rhett Cox, the commander of Army Counterintelligence Command. The criminal complaint filed in Eastern Michigan District Court alleges that Mr Said communicated with two undercover officers about a plan he had devised in April. The officers told Mr Said they intended to carry out his plan at the direction of ISIS, at which point the suspect allegedly provided equipment, including armour-piercing ammunition. He also flew his drone 'to conduct operational reconnaissance, training the undercover employees on firearms and the construction of Molotov cocktails for use during the attack, and planning numerous details of the attack including how to enter and which building to target', it is alleged. According to charging documents seen by The National, Mr Said discussed the pros and cons of various attack plans with undercover agents, including the potential use of napalm, a flammable petroleum gel. 'It will melt into your skin. Molotov by itself, it will catch fire but it will turn off pretty quick,' he allegedly said. The National has left a message with the lawyer listed as representing Mr Said. The former guardsman, who was discharged in or around December, also allegedly deliberated about how much ammunition to carry. 'I recommend everyone have about seven magazines because you don't want to be in there and run out of ammo,' documents state. The attack was scheduled for May 13, but instead Mr Said was arrested. If found guilty he could face two decades behind bars. The National reached out to the appointed attorney for Mr Said for comment. A public affairs officer for the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan responded to that request and declined to make a comment "at this time."
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Security Service of Ukraine announces exposure of Hungarian military intelligence spy network
The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) has exposed a Hungarian military intelligence network that was spying against the Ukrainian state. Source: SSU press service Quote: "For the first time in the history of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine exposed an agent network of Hungarian military intelligence that conducted espionage activities to the detriment of our country. The task of this cell was to collect information about the military security of Zakarpattia Oblast, search for vulnerabilities in the oblast's ground and air defence, as well as study the socio-political views of local residents: in particular, scenarios of their behaviour if Hungarian troops enter the oblast." Details: It is reported that as a result of complex measures in Zakarpattia, the SSU detained two agents from the Hungarian secret service network. The investigation indicates that both suspects were supervised by a Hungarian military intelligence officer, whose identity has already been identified by the Security Service of Ukraine. One of his agents was a 40-year-old former military officer from the Berehove district, who was recruited by foreigners and put on standby back in 2021. The SSU counterintelligence and investigators report that a handler activated this agent in September 2024. The traitor was reportedly given a task to study the mood of the local population and obtain the following information: - what would be the reaction of the military and civilian population of Zakarpattia if a peacekeeping contingent, including the Hungarian military, entered the oblast; - what military equipment and weapons can be purchased on the black market in Zakarpattia; - what is the situation with the migration of the Hungarian population in the oblast; - what military forces are located in Zakarpattia, whether there are many vehicles and combat vehicles; - how well the law enforcement agencies are staffed and what is their size, etc. It is documented that after that, the agent personally reconnoitred the deployment of Ukraine's defence forces and the coordinates of the S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems in the oblast. After gathering intelligence, he travelled to Hungary to report to his supervisor. In order to cross the border, the traitor obtained a carer certificate for his sick father, who needed treatment in foreign institutions. According to the case file, during the meeting, the Hungarian intelligence officer handed over cash to the agent, which was to be used for the performance of the assigned tasks. Among other things, the traitor was looking for a network of informants. The SSU established that the resident tried to recruit at least two people. By forming an agent network, foreign intelligence hoped to expand the range of information gathering, including obtaining data from the line of contact and frontline regions, the SSU said. In March 2025, SSU counterintelligence documented the second meeting between the agent and the handler. This time, he received a phone with special software for covert communication. Among the traitor's new tasks was to identify official cars belonging to representatives of the defence forces in Zakarpattia Oblast. In addition, the resident had to find and pass on data on the losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Russo-Ukrainian war and current events from the combat zone to the Hungarian secret service, and he had already found a suitable contact in the defence forces. Another detainee is a former member of the Ukrainian defence forces who retired from the unit in 2025. According to the available information, her tasks included informing the Hungarian secret service about the presence of aircraft and helicopters in Zakarpattia Oblast, as well as about the defence systems of the military unit where she served. SSU counterintelligence documented every step of the Hungarian agents and detained the defendants at their places of residence. During the search, their phones and other material evidence were seized. Investigators of the Security Service of Ukraine served the defendants with a notice of suspicion of treason committed under martial law. It is stated that the offenders are in custody. They face life imprisonment with confiscation of property. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
