2024 Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community [Excerpt re: Russia]

DNI Seal and Smaller Seals of Agencies Related to DNI

Senate Select Committee on Intelligence March 11, 2024 Director Avril D. Haines Office of the Director of National Intelligence 2024 Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community [Excerpt] [PDF: intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/hearings/unclassified_2024_ata_report_0.pdf] RUSSIA Regional and Global Activities Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has resulted in enormous damage at home and abroad, but Russia remains a resilient and capable adversary across […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Spy War: How the C.I.A. Secretly Helps Ukraine Fight Putin” – New York Times

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“For more than a decade, the United States has nurtured a secret intelligence partnership with Ukraine that is now critical for both countries in countering Russia.” “… [T]he intelligence partnership between Washington and Kyiv is a linchpin of Ukraine’s ability to defend itself. The C.I.A. and other … [U.S.] agencies provide intelligence for targeted missile strikes, track Russian troop movements […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “What Tucker Carlson’s Putin Interview Means for the War in Ukraine” – Council on Foreign Relations

Vladimir Putin file photo, adapted from screenshot of video at shareamerica.gov

“… But it wasn’t getting bogged down in historical minutiae that most hurt Putin’s case. He undermined his claim to be ready for practical diplomacy by endlessly parading his ethno-nationalist obsessions. And not all of these were matters of distant history. Blaming Poland rather than Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin for starting World War II was only the most egregious […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Spycraft and Statecraft: Transforming the CIA for an Age of Competition” – Foreign Affairs: William J. Burns

William Burns file photo, adapted from image at cia.gov

“… In a world in which the United States’ principal rivals — China and Russia — are led by personalistic autocrats operating within small and insular circles of advisers, gaining insight into leaders’ intentions is both more important and more difficult than ever. Just as 9/11 ushered in a new era for the CIA, so did Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. […]

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Russia in Review, Jan. 5-12, 2024

Kremlin and Red Square file photo, adapted from image at state.gov

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org) 6 Things to Know The Pentagon has failed to properly track at least $1 billion in weapons that the U.S. has provided to Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion, according to a report by the Defense Department’s inspector general, FT  reports. The high rate of weapons that were missing or otherwise immediately unaccounted for in government […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukrainian military officer coordinated Nord Stream pipeline attack” – Washington Post

Gas Flame file photo

“Roman Chervinsky, a colonel in Ukraine’s special operations forces, was integral to the brazen sabotage operation, say people familiar with planning.” “… Roman Chervinsky, a decorated 48-year-old colonel who served in Ukraine’s special operations forces, [reportedly] was the ‘coordinator’ of … Nord Stream [sabotage] operation … logistics and support for a six-person team that rented a sailboat under false identities […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Trump sues ex-British spy over dossier containing ‘shocking and scandalous claims'” – AP

File Photo of Donald Trump Waving Before Large Crowd with Trump Signs, adapted from image at whitehouse.gov

“A lawyer for Donald Trump has told a London judge that the ex-president plans to prove that a ‘shocking and scandalous’ report by a former British spy was wrong and harmed his reputation” “… Trump has sued [Orbis Business Intelligence,] founded by Christopher Steele, who created a dossier in 2016  …[with] rumors and uncorroborated allegations about Trump …. Trump allegedly […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The third line: How the Pentagon assesses Ukraine’s progress; A rare interview with America’s Defence Intelligence Agency” – The Economist

DIA Headquarters Building, adapted from dia.mil image

“… [DIA Director Trent] Maul … notes that Sergei Surovikin, the Russian general who built [Russia’s] defensive lines [in Ukraine], and Yevgeny Prigozhin, whose Wagner Group mercenaries achieved Russia’s most tangible gains of the past year, are both off the battlefield — the former sacked and the latter dead …. [] Maul …  says … Ukraine’s recent successes are ‘significant’ […]

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Russia in Review, Sept. 1-8, 2023

File Photo of Red Square, Kremlin, Environs, adapted from image at state.gov

7 Things to Know G-20 leaders began arriving in New Delhi on Sept. 8 for their annual gathering as negotiators struggled to bridge differences over the war in Ukraine in the group’s joint statement. While it remains unclear whether a final consensus can be reached, China appears to have dropped its initial opposition to language on Ukraine and Russia, according […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S. General Warns Time Is Running Out for Ukraine’s Counteroffensive” – Newsweek

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“[According to] General Mark Milley, … Chairman[,] … Joint Chiefs of Staff[,] … Ukraine’s forces have … 30 to 45 days left … before … fall weather … stop[s] their advance. … ‘There’s still heavy fighting going on,’ Milley said, adding that Ukraine was ‘still plugging away with steady progress.’ …  [W]ith progress slow, and the counteroffensive launched later than […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Crime and punishment: Inside Ukraine’s assassination programme” – The Economist

Stylized Artist's Depiction of Shadowy Figures in Dark Coats and Dark Hats, One Carrying a Briefcase

“Its agents have become expert in dark revenge. But some worry a clear strategy is absent.” “… Over 18 months of war, dozens of people like [Yevhen ] Yunakov have been targeted in clinical operations across occupied Ukraine and inside Russia itself. They have been shot, blown up, hanged and even, on occasion, poisoned with doctored brandy. Ukraine is tight-lipped […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “CIA chief: The uprising in Russia shows ‘signs of weakness’ in Putin’s rule” – NPR

William Burns file photo, adapted from image at cia.gov

“CIA Director William Burns said that a recent uprising by a mercenary group in Russia exposed ‘signs of weakness’ in … Putin’s regime and contributed to growing discontent among Russians. … The spy chief said this turbulence in Russia, and growing disaffection with the war in Ukraine was creating fertile ground for the CIA to recruit Russians to spy on […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine’s spymaster comes out of the shadows” – Reuters

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“… For an intelligence chief running Ukraine’s spy operations during war with Russia, Kyrylo Budanov, 37, has built up an unusually public profile … to get his message out and … menace Russia from afar. These days, a spy boss cannot stay in the shadows, he says. … In parts of his interview … he said … mutinying Russian mercenaries […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “After Armed Rebellion, Putin Tries to Reinforce His Defenses” – New York Times

Vladimir Putin file photo, adapted from screenshot of video at shareamerica.gov

“Long focused on security, the Russian resident is rewarding loyalty among the ruling elite and showering his most important constituency — the men with guns — with cash.” “… Putin appears to be scrambling to coup-proof his system once more. … rewarding loyalty among the ruling elite and showering his most important constituency — the men with guns — with […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia ‘On the Edge of Civil War’ — Ukraine Spymaster” – Newsweek

European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

“The head of Ukraine’s main intelligence directorate (GUR)[, Major-General Kyrylo Budanov,] has said … Russia is on the brink of civil war …. [He said that] [h]is spy agency examined a secret internal study by Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD)… [that] focused on levels of public support for the [Wagner Group] mutiny … a direct challenge to … Putin’s […]

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Russia in Review, June 30-July 7, 2023 – 5 Things to Know

File Photo of Red Square, Kremlin, Environs, adapted from image at state.gov

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org) The U.S. has included cluster munitions in its latest $800 million package of military aid to Ukraine. More than 100 countries have signed onto the Convention on Cluster Munitions, vowing to never use them, but the U.S. is not one of them. A significant percentage of the submunitions often fail to detonate, effectively turning them into […]

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FBI Turning to Social Media to Track Traitors

File Photo of Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C., Adapted From Image at loc.gov

(Voice of America – voanews.com – Jeff Seldin – July 1, 2023) If you logged onto social media over the past few months, you may have seen it – a video of the Russian Embassy on a gray, overcast day in Washington with the sounds of passing cars and buses in the background. A man’s voice asks in English, “Do […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “An unspooked spook; Ukraine’s spymaster has got under the Kremlin’s skin” – The Economist/ Kyrylo Budanov

Stylized Artist's Depiction of Shadowy Figures in Dark Coats and Dark Hats, One Carrying a Briefcase

“… 37-year-old General [Kyrylo] Budanov, a former commando, is Ukraine’s youngest-ever spymaster. … [A]rchitect of increasingly brazen operations within Russia, he is also a big irritant for the Kremlin. Aides say there have been ‘at least ten’ attempts on his life. … Western partners describe [him] as a straightforward and incorruptible player. He is now [reportedly] privy to more American […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Kyiv says it intercepted call showing Russia blew up Kakhovka dam” – Reuters

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“Ukraine’s domestic security service[, The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU),] said on Friday it had intercepted a telephone call proving a Russian ‘sabotage group’ blew up the Kakhovka hydroelectric station and dam in southern Ukraine. … [The explosion] unleashed mass flooding, forcing thousands of residents to flee and wreaking environmental havoc.  [The SBU] posted a one-and-a-half minute audio clip on […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S. had intelligence of Ukrainian plan to attack Nord Stream project – Washington Post” – Reuters

Gas Flame file photo

“The United States learned of a Ukrainian plan to attack the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines three months before they were damaged … The Washington Post reported … citing [online] leaked information …. [washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/06/06/nord-stream-pipeline-explosion-ukraine-russia/] The CIA [reportedly] learned last June, through a European spy agency, that a six-person team of Ukrainian special operations forces intended to blow up the Russia-to-Germany […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Kremlin Officials Continue to Use iPhones Despite U.S. Espionage Fears” – Moscow Times

File Photo of Hand Holding IPhone, adapted from image at defense.gov and af.mil, displaying webpages relating to U.S. Air Force

(Moscow Times – June 1, 2023) As many as 30% of employees in the Russian presidential administration continue to use iPhones for personal communication, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday. Peskov’s comments came after Russia’s Federal Security Services (FSB) announced that it had detected “anomalies” in some iPhones in Russia caused by “malicious software” that it linked to “surveillance operations […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Finally, Can We Ask Who Really Colluded With Russia?” – WSJ

FBI Headquarters File Photo

“If the crime is promoting distrust in institutions, the evidence is strongest against the FBI and media.” “… In response to fake and possibly planted Russian intelligence, the FBI improperly and insubordinately meddled in the Clinton email case (as per the inspector general) in a way that accidentally helped elect [] Trump. This story, still hidden in a classified appendix […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Who are the militias raiding Russia’s Belgorod region? They have links to Ukrainian military intelligence and, in some cases, to the far right” – The Economist

European Portion of Commonwealth of Independent States

“… [Recently] two militias … oppos[ing] … Putin — the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Free Russia Legion — claimed to have ‘liberated’ several border villages [in the Russian region of Belgorod]. The groups appear to be based in Ukraine …. [and] Russia says … the militias are a front for the Ukrainian army; [but] Ukraine insists … they are […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Durham Exposes Robert Mueller’s Failure; The new report exposes how the original Russia probe covered up the FBI’s offenses” – WSJ

FBI Headquarters File Photo

“Special counsel John Durham’s report on the Russia collusion fiasco deserves more attention … [C]ritics are dismissing it for one big reason: The 306 pages describe the great failure of original special counsel Robert Mueller. … [who] hunted for evidence that [] Trump was a Russian mole but couldn’t find it. Now the Durham report makes clear … the Mueller […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Line Between Support for Ukraine and War With Russia Just Gets Thinner” – The Nation/ James Bamford

Aerial View of Kremlin and Environs

“Recent Pentagon leaks reveal that the shadow war between Russia and the U.S. over Ukraine is becoming more overt — and far more dangerous.” “On the eastern wall of the Kremlin, Spasskaya Tower rises high above the old gray paving stones of Red Square. Beneath its hipped roof are the ‘Kremlin Chimes,’ a 500-year-old clock with four broad 20-foot faces. […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “In Ukraine, Technology Only Thickens the Fog of War” – Bloomberg

Artist's Depiction of Spy Satellite in Orbit, With Stylized Depictions of Lines of Site and Data Points, adapted from image at iarpa.gov

“The deluge of satellite imagery, drone footage, social media and smart phones has generated enough information to support any story you want to tell about what’s happening on the ground.” “… [T]wo relatively new contributions to the transparency of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict are widely available satellite imagery and social network posts. … [S]atellite data from private Western providers has lent […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russian Officials Unnerved by Ukraine Bloodshed Are Contacting CIA, Agency Says; Russian-language video on Telegram aims at Russians ‘on the fence’” – WSJ

“Russian-language video on Telegram aims at Russians ‘on the fence’” The Wall Street Journal reports: “The [CIA’s] semipublic campaign to convince Russians disaffected by the war in Ukraine to spy for Washington has borne fruit, CIA officials said … as the spy agency released a new video aimed directly at Russian government officials. Since last fall, the CIA and [FBI] […]

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Russia in Review, May 5-12, 2023: 7 Things to Know

(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org) Moscow blaming West at every turn: Vladimir Putin attacked the West on May 9, claiming that Russia’s future depended on the outcome of the war in Ukraine, as he attended a slimmed-down military parade to mark victory over Nazi Germany in WWII, MT reports. “A real war has once again been unleashed against our motherland,” he […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Biden administration hunts for high-value Russians for potential prisoner swap” – CNN

File Photo of Prison Cell and Bars with Shaft of Light, adapted from image at fbi.gov

“The Biden administration [reportedly] is scouring the globe for offers that could entice Russia to release two wrongfully detained Americans, Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan …. The U.S. [reportedly] does not currently have any high-level Russian spies in its custody … [and therefore is] approaching allied countries [holding] Russian spies …. U.S. officials [reportedly] have also been surveying allies without […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Biden’s CIA Assist in the 2020 Presidential Election; The agency, not only retirees, turns out to have worked on the Hunter excuse letter.” – WSJ

File Photo of Joe Biden at Podium in Front of U.S. and State Department Flags, adapted from image at usembassy.gov

“… It seems … [Joe] Biden … [on election day] owed thanks not only to a cabal of former intelligence officials, but [also] to the [CIA][,] … [according to the] [U.S.] House committees detailing the origins of the October 2020 disinformation letter about Hunter Biden’s laptop. … Joe Biden’s campaign helped engineer a statement from 51 former U.S. spies that […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Read the Leaked Secret Intelligence Documents on Ukraine and Vladimir Putin” – Newsweek

File Image of Stylized Eye Surrounded by Binary Code

“The stark conclusion buried in the documents is that Vladimir Putin’s army has made little progress. Since last July, it has gained an average of just 2.7 kms (1.6 mi) of territory “per month” in its attack around Bakhmut. An equally startling disclosure is that the number of Russian mercenaries fighting around Bakhmut exceeds the number of regular soldiers. According […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “New Leaked Documents Show Broad Infighting Among Russian Officials” – New York Times

File Photo of Kremlin Tower, St. Basil's, Red Square at Night

“The additional documents also suggest the breach of American intelligence agencies could contain far more material than previously believed.” “… [I]nfighting inside the Russian government appears broader and deeper than previously understood, judging from … classified [U.S.] intelligence documents … leaked online. … [For example,] American intelligence officials say … [the] F.S.B.[] has ‘accused’ [Russia’s] Defense Ministry ‘of obfuscating Russian […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “New Details on Intelligence Leak Show It Circulated for Weeks Before Raising Alarm” – WSJ

File Image of Laptop Computer, Tables and Mobile Device, adapted from image at energy.gov

“The secret documents were first posted in January to a small group on a messaging channel that trafficked in memes, jokes and racist talk.” “One of the most significant leaks of highly classified U.S. documents in recent history began among a small group of posters on … [the] [Discord] messaging channel that trafficked in memes, jokes and racist talk. Sometime […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine expels pro-Russian clergy from Kyiv cave monastery complex” – Politico

Uspensky Sobor (Dormition Cathedral) at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra (Kyiv Monastery of the Caves) complex, adapted from image at cia.gov

“The move comes amid a major schism between Ukraine’s Orthodox churches..” “… Wednesday is the deadline for the monastery’s 1,000 inhabitants to leave what was their home amid heightened political concerns that some of them were too close to Moscow, and were Russian fifth columnists. … [T]he spiritual head of the world’s Orthodox Christians, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew [of Constantinople], hardened […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “How Putin’s war destroyed a golden age of Russian culture” – Financial Times

Map of Russia and Russian Flag adapted from images at state.gov

“Inside the pain, purges and persecution that have decimated the country’s once-flourishing theatre scene” “… Hours after Russia’s invasion … [Moscow’s experimental] Meyerhold Centre … became the first theatre to protest. … [A]ctors, directors, ballet dancers and conductors followed suit. … [A]bout 2,000 Russian cultural workers … signed an open letter … opposing the war. Some went into the streets […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “The Economist explains: Who blew up the Nord Stream pipelines? Lots of blame, no hard evidence” – The Economist

Gas Flame file photo

“Last September, when explosions damaged Nord Stream 1 and 2 … evidence of a culprit was scant. Some European governments suspected Russia. … Putin had been threatening to cut off energy supplies to Europe in retaliation for sanctions …. Russia … blamed America and Britain. Six months later American intelligence officials … [and] German and British news organisations[] have suggested […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “U.S. Sees Russia Reducing Goals in Ukraine, Deepening China Ties” – Bloomberg

U.S. Capitol in Bright Sunlight

“China’s intent cited in annual assessment of worldwide threats ‘Growing pessimism’ in Beijing is cited by intelligence chief” “Russia is likely to downgrade its ambitions in Ukraine for the time being to hanging onto territory seized after the start of its invasion, even as it enjoys deepening economic and defense support from China, U.S. intelligence chiefs told a Senate committee. […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia Lacks Firepower to Keep Advancing, U.S. Intelligence Chief Says” – New York Times

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“While both Ukrainians and Russians say the pitched battle for the city of Bakhmut could determine whether Russia can pursue more of an offensive, Western officials are skeptical.” “Even as Ukrainian and Russian leaders predicted that the fall of Bakhmut could open the way for a broader Russian offensive, the U.S. intelligence chief said Wednesday that the Kremlin’s forces were […]

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Excerpt from the “Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community”

File Photo of Red Square, Kremlin, Environs, adapted from image at state.gov

[click here for PDF of entire Annual Threat Assessment, declassified version] [excerpt on Russia follows]   Russia REGIONAL AND GLOBAL OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine is a tectonic event that is reshaping Russia’s relationships with the West and China, and more broadly in ways that are unfolding and remain highly uncertain. Escalation of the conflict […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “‘Havana syndrome’ not caused by energy weapon or foreign adversary, intelligence review finds” – Washington Post

“After a years-long assessment, five U.S. intelligence agencies conclude it is ‘very unlikely’ an enemy wielding a secret weapon was behind the mysterious ailment” “… State Department personnel … in U.S. embassies are among those who have reported symptoms …. Despite the new conclusions, Secretary of State Antony Blinken [reportedly] remains of the view that something happened to those employees […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia denies claims it plans to destabilize Moldova” – AP

Moldova, panorama file photo, adapted from image at state.gov

“Russia …. angrily rejected … Moldovan [President Maia Sandu’s] claims about an alleged plot by Moscow to overthrow her government and accused Moldovan authorities of trying to distract … attention away from … domestic problems. … Sandu said Monday that the purported Russian plot envisioned attacks on government buildings, hostage-takings and other violent actions by groups of saboteurs …. In […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Adam Schiff, Disinformation Man: The latest Twitter documents show how he deceived the public and has earned his ouster from the Intelligence Committee.” – Wall Street Journal

U.S. Capitol in Bright Sunlight

“… Twitter documents … have exposed another Schiff falsehood. As news broke that [] Nunes … submitted his then-classified memo to Congress, Twitter exploded with the hashtag ‘#ReleaseTheMemo.’ [] Schiff … joined … Feinstein to publicly claim this hashtag was driven by ‘Russian bots and trolls’ … to ‘manipulate public opinion,’ ‘influence congressional action’ and ‘undermine … Mueller’s investigation’ into […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “How Citizen Spies Foiled Putin’s Grand Plan for One Ukrainian City” – New York City

Map of Ukraine, Including Crimea, and Neighbors, Including Russia

“A partisan cell in Kherson spied on, undermined and even hunted down Russian soldiers. Now that Vladimir V. Putin’s forces are gone, people feel free to talk — and to brag a little.” “Guided by … Ukrainian security services … ordinary citizens formed themselves into a grass-roots resistance movement.  … They took clandestine videos of Russian troops and sent them […]

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RUSSIALINK: “CIA Tells Russians Frustrated by Putin’s War: ‘We’re Open for Business'” – Moscow Times

File Photo of CIA Seal on Floor

(Moscow Times – Nov. 23, 2022) The CIA is seeking to recruit Russian nationals angry with the course of Russia’s war in Ukraine, a senior official in the U.S. foreign intelligence ageny has said. CIA Director of Operations David Marlowe noted that President Vladimir Putin’s failure to achieve his military and security goals in the nine-month invasion of Ukraine has […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Secret Signs Show Putin’s Own Henchmen Are Turning on Him” – Daily Beast

Vladimir Putin file photo, adapted from screenshot of video at shareamerica.gov

“‘ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN’; Some are said to be fleeing the country, while others reportedly came extremely close to ousting him this week.” “Nearly nine months into Russia’s war against Ukraine, it seems some of … Putin’s strongmen are laying the groundwork to abandon ship. A human rights group that works closely with Russian inmates and investigates abuses by the security […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Sabotage at sea; Vladimir Putin says the world’s energy infrastructure is ‘at risk'” – The Economist

Gas Flame file photo

“He would know. And internet infrastructure is vulnerable too.” “On October 12th … Putin … gave an ominous warning. Energy infrastructure around the world was now ‘at risk,’ he said. … a month after explosions tore through Nord Stream 1 and 2 …. Russia denies responsibility  …. But few doubt … the Kremlin did it. …. The attacks occurred just […]

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RUSSIALINK: “Putin Confronted by Kremlin Insider Over Ukraine, U.S. Intel Reportedly Tells Biden” – Moscow Times

Vladimir Putin file photo, adapted from screenshot of video at shareamerica.gov

An unnamed member of President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle has directly confronted him over mistakes and mismanagement of the war in Ukraine, The Washington Post reported Friday, citing U.S. intelligence. [washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/10/07/putin-inner-circle-dissent/] The insider’s confrontation and identity were reportedly included in U.S. President Joe Biden’s daily intelligence briefing and shared with other U.S. officials. The individual’s identity could not be confirmed, […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia is a failed state” – The Hill

Russia Regions Map

“…. Putin is rapidly losing legitimacy …. The secret police are angry over being] blam[ed] … for the military fiasco. The generals are angry that the war is destroying the armed forces. The pro-war faction … blames him …. The pro-peace faction blames him …. Russia’s foreign allies are … losing … respect … for Putin. … [I]nitial enthusiasm for […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “5 things you need to know about Russia’s intelligence failures ahead of the invasion of Ukraine” – Washington Post

FSB Headquarters file photo

“… 1. A clandestine branch of Russia’s security service was deeply involved in the Kremlin’s failed war plan, assuring officials … that Ukraine’s government would fall quickly and deploying operatives to install a puppet regime. … 2. FSB officers were so confident … that they spent the final days before the war arranging [Kyiv] accommodations …. 3. The FSB’s Ukraine […]

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JRL NEWSWATCH: “Dark days again in Russia. For prisoners, an endless carousel of absurdity” – Washington Post

File Photo of Kremlin Tower, St. Basil's, Red Square at Night

“To understand Russia today, it is necessary to reach back to Stalin’s Great Terror …. Everyone was scared[,] even Communist Party theorists … ‘frightened out of their wits like rabbits’ [as described by one commentator.] … [Similarly, today] Russian security services are grabbing people arbitrarily and imprisoning them for criticism of … Putin or his barbaric war against Ukraine. [According […]

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