July 2018 Intelligence News

Ukrainian, 84, Gets 12 Years In Prison On Russia-Related Treason Charge RFE/RL 31 Jul 2018 -- A court in Ukraine has sentenced an 84-year-old researcher to 12 years in prison after convicting him of gathering classified information he allegedly planned to hand over to Russia.
Two Taiwanese indicted for violating national security laws CNA 30 Jul 2018 -- Two Taiwanese members of a Chinese university alumni association were indicted by prosecutors Monday on charges of violating national security laws, according to the Taipei District Prosecutors Office.
UK Police Believe 2 Groups From Russia Organized Poisoning of Skripals - Reports Sputnik 29 Jul 2018 -- UK police believe that two groups from Russia were hired to organize and carry out the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in March, the Mirror reported Sunday.
Ecuador president: Assange will need to leave embassy Press TV 27 Jul 2018 -- Ecuador's President Lenin Moreno says Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who has taken refuge at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London since 2012, will eventually need to leave.
UN Urges Full-Fledged Probe Into Allegations of Secret CIA Prison in Lithuania Sputnik 27 Jul 2018 -- In 2016, Lithuania told the European Court of Human Rights that the country wasn't harboring a secret US Central Intelligence Agency prison where terrorist suspects were allegedly detained.
Ecuador President Says Assange Must Eventually Leave London Embassy Sputnik 27 Jul 2018 -- The Intercept earlier cited a source close to the Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry and the president's office as saying that Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno was involved in talks with the UK and was close to finalizing an agreement to hand over the WikiLeaks' founder to the British government within the next several weeks.
British Man Says Novichok Was In Perfume Bottle He Gave Partner RFE/RL 25 Jul 2018 -- A British man poisoned with Novichok has said in interviews that he found a perfume bottle that contained the deadly nerve agent and unknowingly gave it to his girlfriend, who sprayed the liquid on her wrists and later died.
US Justice Dept Says Russian Citizen Indicted for Violating Export Control Laws Sputnik 25 Jul 2018 -- Russian citizen Alexander Brazhnikov Senior has been indicted by a US federal grand jury for allegedly violating export control laws, the US Department of Justice announced in a press release on Wednesday.
US Government Seeks to Gag Lawyer for Russian National Mariia Butina Sputnik 25 Jul 2018 -- A trial date remains unset in the case of Russian national Mariia Butina, who was arrested on July 15 for acting as foreign agent of Russia but failing to register with US authorities, a claim Butina's defense denies.
US Prosecution Wants to Classify Most Evidence in Russian National Butina's Case Sputnik 25 Jul 2018 -- Legal defense for Russian national Maria Butina, who is accused of conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government, will appeal her detention in the US within two weeks, according to her lawyer.
Russian Spies Hide in Plain Sight VOA 24 Jul 2018 -- In the pre-Internet era, spies faced more challenges than now when trying to infiltrate Western political circles in order to gather information, identify potential recruits, enlist the assistance of sympathizers and mount active operations, like meddling in a foreign country's election.
Russian Scientist Jailed as Moscow Probes Hypersonic Missile Secrets Leak Sputnik 24 Jul 2018 -- A scientist at Russia's space organization Roscosmos, 74-year-old Viktor Kudryavtsev, has been imprisoned in a Moscow jail run by the Federal Security Service (FSB), which has been been investigating a "treasonous" leak of hypersonic missile secrets to Western intelligence agencies.
Amesbury Man Confesses He Gave 'Perfume Bottle' With 'Nerve Agent' to Girlfriend Sputnik 24 Jul 2018 -- The couple from Amesbury – Charlie Rowley and the now-deceased Dawn Sturgess – was said to have picked up a perfume bottle allegedly containing a nerve agent, with Sturgess ostensibly spraying the substance on her wrists.
Trump threatens to revoke security clearances of Obama-era officials Press TV 24 Jul 2018 -- US President Donald Trump has threatened to revoke the security clearances of at least six top national security and intelligence officials of the era of former President Barack Obama who have been critical of the administration.
UK and Ecuador deal to evict Assange from embassy "imminent" amid US pressure Press TV 24 Jul 2018 -- Ecuador is planning to withdraw asylum protection for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and evict him from its UK embassy in London amid "significant pressure" from the United States, according to reports.
Trump Considering Revoking Brennan's, Comey's Security Clearances Sputnik 23 Jul 2018 -- Former CIA Director John Brennan is no longer in the agency, but is still in the limelight, with Republicans suspecting he might be using his previous strings and power to play against President Trump.
Trump adviser 'collaborating, conspiring' with Russia, FBI says Press TV 23 Jul 2018 -- Former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page has denied findings by the FBI about his collusion with Russia.
Researcher At Russian Spacecraft Center Charged With Treason: Report RFE/RL 23 Jul 2018 -- A 74-year-old researcher at a Russian rocket and spacecraft design facility has reportedly been charged with treason for allegedly giving classified information to a NATO country.
Trump: Surveillance Court Was 'Misled' to OK Wiretapping of Ex-Aide VOA 22 Jul 2018 -- U.S. President Donald Trump claimed Sunday that newly released documents about the origins of an investigation of a former adviser's links to Russia help vindicate his claim that U.S. government investigators were spying on his 2016 election campaign.
Pakistan army calls for probe into claims against spy agency Press TV 22 Jul 2018 -- Pakistan's army has called for the Supreme Court to launch an investigation into claims made by a high court judge pertaining to the country's spy agency interfering in judiciary affairs.
Ex-Trump campaign adviser conspired with Russia: FBI Press TV 22 Jul 2018 -- Newly-released documents by the Federal Bureau of Investigation suggest that former Trump presidential campaign adviser Carter Page collaborated and conspired with Russia prior to the 2016 US election.
Ecuador about to hand over Assange to UK: Report Press TV 22 Jul 2018 -- A source close to Ecuador's government has reportedly confirmed that the country's President Lenin Moreno has nearly reached a deal with the United Kingdom to hand over WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange – who has taken refuge in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London – "within the next several weeks."
FBI Releases Documents On Suspicions Of Russia Ties By Former Trump Aide RFE/RL 22 Jul 2018 -- The FBI has released documents related to the surveillance of a former campaign adviser to Donald Trump as part of its probe into whether the aide conspired with the Russian government to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
U.S. Intelligence Director Says He Meant No Disrespect To Trump RFE/RL 22 Jul 2018 -- U.S. President Donald Trump's director of national intelligence (DNI) says he did not mean to be disrespectful toward the president when he responded to news that Russian leader Vladimir Putin would likely soon visit the White House.
Lavrov Urges Butina Release In Phone Call With Pompeo RFE/RL 22 Jul 2018 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has complained to his U.S. counterpart, Mike Pompeo, about the U.S. detention of Russian national Maria Butina on charges of conspiracy and acting as an unregistered foreign agent.
FBI Releases Surveillance Documents on Ex-Trump Campaign Adviser - Reports Sputnik 22 Jul 2018 -- The Department of Justice released Saturday documents related to the surveillance of former Trump presidential campaign adviser Carter Page as part of a Russiagate investigation, US media reported.
Russia's FSB raids space research center over 'spying for West' Press TV 21 Jul 2018 -- Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has reportedly raided a top space research facility over the suspected leaking of secrets about the country's new hypersonic weapons to the West.
Estonia Spy Chief: Network of Operatives Pushing Russian Agenda in West VOA 21 Jul 2018 -- For the past several months, intelligence and security officials in the U.S. government and private sector have cautiously marveled at the seemingly slow pace of Russian cyberattacks and influence operations using social media.
Russia Hunting Leaker of Hypersonic Missile Details to Western Agencies Sputnik 20 Jul 2018 -- Russian intelligence officers have raided the offices of two missile development facilities of the Roscosmos Corporation in search of the person who leaked classified information on hypersonic missiles to Western intelligence agencies.
UK using child spies in police and intelligence operations: Report Press TV 20 Jul 2018 -- British police and intelligence agencies are using children as spies in covert operations against terrorists, gangs and drug dealers, a new UK parliamentary report has revealed.
British Man Exposed To Novichok Released From Hospital RFE/RL 20 Jul 2018 -- A British man who was poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok has recovered sufficiently to be released from the hospital, authorities say.
Russian Rights Ombudswoman Calls For Support For Accused Agent Butina RFE/RL 20 Jul 2018 -- Russian human rights ombudswoman Tatyana Moskalkova has called on international organizations and rights groups to voice support for Maria Butina, who was indicted in the United States this week on charges of conspiracy and acting as an unregistered foreign agent.
'UK identifies Russian suspects in Skripals poisoning case' Press TV 19 Jul 2018 -- British police have reportedly identified several Russian nationals suspected of having been behind an alleged nerve agent poisoning incident in which former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were injured more than four months ago.
Guns, Sex, And A 'Flight Risk': Behind The Charges Against Maria Butina RFE/RL 19 Jul 2018 -- WASHINGTON -- The protest, held in September 2016 across the street from the Russian Embassy in the U.S. capital, featured a handful of activists intending to show their opposition to Russian leader Vladimir Putin and upcoming parliamentary elections.
Investigative Report: On The Trail Of The 12 Indicted Russian Intelligence Officers RFE/RL 19 Jul 2018 -- A U.S. grand jury charged 12 Russian citizens on July 13 with interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential election by organizing cyberattacks on the computers of Democratic Party figures during the campaign.
Report: British Police Identify Russian Suspects In Novichok Attack RFE/RL 19 Jul 2018 -- British investigators believe they have identified the suspects responsible for the Novichok attack on former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, the Press Association (PA) reported on July 19.
Iran rejects Israeli claim of stealing nuclear data as 'laughably absurd' Press TV 19 Jul 2018 -- Iran has dismissed as "laughably absurd" an Israel-fabricated scenario, in which the agents with the regime's Mossad spy agency are claimed to have spirited away loads of "secret documents" on the country's nuclear work from a site in southern Tehran.
FBI Says China, Not Russia, 'Most Significant' Intelligence Threat to US Sputnik 19 Jul 2018 -- The Federal Bureau of Investigation said that it has ongoing economic espionage investigations in all 50 states tracing back to China, ranging from agriculture to high-tech.
Trump Says Russia No Longer Targeting U.S. Elections, Contradicting His Intelligence Chief RFE/RL 18 Jul 2018 -- U.S. President Donald Trump has said that Russia is no longer interfering in U.S. elections, contradicting remarks by his chief of national intelligence who has warned that Russia is continuing to try to influence the 2018 U.S. congressional elections.
Butina Pleads Not Guilty To Violating U.S. Foreign-Agent Law, Held Without Bail RFE/RL 18 Jul 2018 -- A Russian woman has pleaded not guilty in a U.S. federal court to charges that she violated the U.S. foreign-agent law as part of a Russian effort to infiltrate the U.S. political system.
Trump 'Accepts’ US Intel on Russia Meddling VOA 17 Jul 2018 -- President Donald Trump reversed himself Tuesday, saying he accepted the U.S. intelligence community's conclusion that Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election, a day after siding with Russian President Vladimir Putin's denial that Moscow had interfered.
Trump Says He Accepts That Russia Meddled In 2016 U.S. Election RFE/RL 17 Jul 2018 -- President Donald Trump says he accepts the U.S. intelligence community's conclusion that Russia meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election in his favor. But he says Russian actions did not have any impact on the outcome of the vote.
Trump 'Accepts' US Intel on Russia Meddling, Says 'Could Be Other People Also' Sputnik 17 Jul 2018 -- US President Donald Trump spoke to US media in Washington on Tuesday afternoon about his one-on-one meeting in Helsinki with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump meeting with Putin draws rebuke from Republican leaders Press TV 17 Jul 2018 -- US President Donald Trump’s news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday has stunned Republican Party lawmakers in Congress, who are warning Trump not to treat Putin as an ally.
Russian woman arrested in Washington, charged with spying for Moscow Press TV 17 Jul 2018 -- A Russian woman has been arrested and charged in the United States with conspiracy to act as a Russian government agent by developing ties with American citizens and infiltrating political groups.
OSCE's Ukraine Observer Mission 'Concerned' About Reported Russian Spy Leak RFE/RL 17 Jul 2018 -- Russian intelligence has acquired internal documents of the international team monitoring the conflict in eastern Ukraine, including dossiers with personal information about its hundreds of staff members, from a spy, likely a staff member, according to German broadcaster ARD.
Russian Woman Charged Under U.S. Foreign-Agent Law RFE/RL 17 Jul 2018 -- U.S. prosecutors have arrested a Russian woman and charged her with acting as an unregistered foreign agent for the Russian government.
Russian National Charged in Conspiracy to Act as an Agent of the Russian Federation Within the United States US Dept. of Justice 16 Jul 2018 -- A criminal complaint was unsealed today in the District of Columbia charging a Russian national with conspiracy to act as an agent of the Russian Federation within the United States without prior notification to the Attorney General.
US Charges Russian Woman With Conspiracy to Infiltrate American Organizations VOA 16 Jul 2018 -- An aide to a top Russian government official under U.S. sanctions was charged on Monday with conspiracy to infiltrate American organizations as part of Moscow's influence operations in the United States.
'Played by Russian spies,' Trump under fire in US over siding with Putin Press TV 16 Jul 2018 -- US President Donald Trump is under fire in his country after a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which he tried to "get along with" Moscow.
Trump Declines to Back US Intel on Russia Meddling VOA 16 Jul 2018 -- Donald Trump, standing alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin, has declared he cannot see any reason to believe Moscow meddled in the election that led to him becoming U.S. president in 2016.
US accuses Russia of trying to divide Americans through social media Press TV 15 Jul 2018 -- The United States has accused Russia of trying to divide Americans using social media amid allegations that Moscow targeted the 2016 US presidential election.
U.S. Homeland Security Chief: Russia Sowing Divisions Among Americans RFE/RL 15 Jul 2018 -- The U.S. homeland security chief says the country's intelligence officials are seeing "persistent Russian efforts" to use social media and other resources to create divisions among the American people.
US Media: Israel Smuggled Nuclear Plans Out of Tehran VOA 15 Jul 2018 -- Israel agents broke into an Iranian warehouse and smuggled out tens of thousands of pages and nearly 200 computer discs on Iranian plans to build a nuclear weapon, U.S. media reports say.
British Police Find Bottle Containing Novichok In Amesbury Victim's Home RFE/RL 14 Jul 2018 -- British counterterrorism police say they believe they have found the source of the Novichok nerve agent that killed a woman in southwest England and made her partner critically ill.
Grand Jury Indicts 12 Russian Intelligence Officers for Hacking Offenses Related to the 2016 Election US Dept. of Justice 13 Jul 2018 -- "The Department of Justice today announced that a grand jury in the District of Columbia returned an indictment presented by the Special Counsel's Office. The indictment charges twelve Russian nationals for committing federal crimes that were intended to interfere with the 2016 U.S. presidential election. All twelve defendants are members of the GRU, a Russian Federation intelligence agency within the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Russian military. These GRU officers, in their official capacities, engaged in a sustained effort to hack into the computer networks of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the Democratic National Committee, and the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton, and released that information on the internet under the names "DCLeaks" and "Guccifer 2.0" and through another entity."
12 Russian intelligence officers indicted in Mueller investigation Press TV 13 Jul 2018 -- US Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller has indicted 12 Russian intelligence officials in connection with the alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election.
U.S. Charges 12 Russian Intelligence Officers For 2016 U.S. Election Meddling RFE/RL 13 Jul 2018 -- A U.S. grand jury has charged 12 Russian intelligence officers for their roles in hacking into the U.S. Democratic Party and leaking stolen e-mails and other information during the 2016 presidential campaign.
US Charges 12 Russians With Conspiracy to Interfere in '16 Election VOA 13 Jul 2018 -- A federal grand jury on Friday indicted 12 Russian military intelligence officers with conspiracy to hack into Democrat computers during the 2016 presidential election, the latest charges brought against Russian nationals by the special counsel investigating Moscow's interference.
'Russia, Iran, China, Pakistan intelligence chiefs discuss Daesh threat in Afghanistan' Press TV 11 Jul 2018 -- Moscow says the heads of intelligence services of Russia, Iran, China and Pakistan have sat down in Islamabad for talks on the rising threat of Daesh in Afghanistan after the Takfiri terrorist group lost its strongholds in Iraq and Syria.
British Man Exposed To Nerve Agent No Longer In Critical Condition RFE/RL 11 Jul 2018 -- A British man poisoned with the Novichok nerve agent is no longer in a critical condition, the hospital treating him said.
Pakistan Hosts Unusual Meeting of Regional Spymasters VOA 11 Jul 2018 -- Pakistan hosted an unprecedented meeting Wednesday of heads of intelligence agencies from Russia, China and Iran to discuss counterterrorism cooperation, with particular focus on the buildup of Islamic State in turmoil-hit Afghanistan.
Lebanese court sentences seven to hard labor over spying for Israel Press TV 10 Jul 2018 -- Lebanon's Military Tribunal has sentenced seven Lebanese nationals in absentia to hard labor on charges of espionage for Israel's Mossad spy agency and collaboration with Israeli authorities.
Crimean Tatar Close To Dzhemilev Says He Was Tortured By Russian FSB RFE/RL 10 Jul 2018 -- A driver for the wife of veteran Crimean Tatar leader Mustafa Dzhemilev says he was tortured by officers of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) in Crimea.
Claim of Russia's involvement in second case of poisoning in UK is 'absurd': Moscow Press TV 09 Jul 2018 -- Russia has strongly rejected the idea that Moscow could have been behind a poisoning incident in which, according to the UK authorities, a woman has so far lost her life after coming into contact with a highly lethal nerve agent in southern England that is reportedly the same chemical substance that put a former Russian double spy and her daughter in the hospital in the same region some four months ago.
British Defense Chief Says Russian 'Attack' Led To Woman's Death RFE/RL 09 Jul 2018 -- Britain's defense chief has said that a Russian "attack" led to the death of a mother of three who was exposed to the same nerve agent that put former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the hospital, while the Kremlin said it would be "absurd" to blame Moscow.
UK Defense Secretary Blames Russia for Death of Woman in Amesbury Sputnik 09 Jul 2018 -- Though earlier in the day UK counter-terrorism officer Neil Basu was unable to confirm that a toxic substance allegedly used for the poisoning of Dawn Sturgess was similar to those claimed to be used for the attack on Skripals, the UK Defense Secretary blamed the incident on Russia.
British Woman Exposed To Novichok Nerve Agent Dies RFE/RL 08 Jul 2018 -- British police say a woman who fell critically ill after being exposed to the same nerve agent used in the poisoning of Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter has died.
British Woman Poisoned by Nerve Agent Dies VOA 08 Jul 2018 -- British police have opened a murder investigation after a woman poisoned by the same nerve agent that sickened an ex-Russian spy in March died.
British Police Hunt Object That May Have Poisoned Couple With Novichok RFE/RL 06 Jul 2018 -- British police are scouring sections of Salisbury and Amesbury in southwest England, searching for a container feared to be contaminated with traces of the deadly nerve agent Novichok.
Russia Denies Role in Latest Britain Poisoning VOA 06 Jul 2018 -- Russia is denying any role in the poisoning of a British couple who British authorities insist are the latest victims of Novichok – allegedly a Russian-made military-grade nerve agent first implicated in an assassination attempt on a former Russian spy and his daughter on British soil last March.
Russia says UK shows no interest in joint probe into nerve agent use Press TV 05 Jul 2018 -- Russia says the United Kingdom shows no interest in conducting a joint investigation into an alleged nerve agent attack on a former Russian double spy in southern England some four months ago, as an almost similar incident occurred in the same region in Britain over the weekend.
UK police investigating new Novichok nerve agent attack Press TV 05 Jul 2018 -- The UK counter-terrorism police have launched an investigation into what they say is another attack on British citizens with the Russian nerve agent Novichok, the same poison that was used in March against Russian double-agent Sergei Skripal.
UK Police: Poisoned Couple Handled 'Contaminated Item' VOA 05 Jul 2018 -- British police said Thursday that a couple left critically ill in the same area where a former Russian spy was poisoned earlier this year "handled a contaminated item."
Israel to try official accused of spying for Iran Press TV 04 Jul 2018 -- Former Israeli minister Gonen Segev, who is accused of spying for Iran, is slated to stand trial in Jerusalem al-Quds on Thursday.
Britain Says Two People Found Unconscious Poisoned With Novichok RFE/RL 04 Jul 2018 -- Britain's counterterrorism chief has said that two people who are critically ill in a hospital in Wiltshire, southwestern England, were exposed to the Novichok nerve agent, the same toxin that was used in an attack on Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal.
UK Counter-Terrorism Chief: 2 People in Amesbury Exposed to Novichok Sputnik 04 Jul 2018 -- According to the statement of UK counter-terrorism chief Neil Basu, two people found unwell at a house in Amesbury on Saturday were contaminated by the Novichok nerve agent, the same toxin that was allegedly used against ex-Russian Intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter.
Victims of UK's Wiltshire Alleged Poisoning Incident Remain Critical - Police Sputnik 04 Jul 2018 -- Two victims of an alleged poisoning incident in the Wiltshire area near the UK city of Salisbury remain in critical condition after suspected exposure to an unknown substance, Deputy Chief Constable Paul Mills of Wiltshire police said on Wednesday.
US Senate Rubber Stamps Intel Report Finding Russia Meddled in 2016 Election Sputnik 04 Jul 2018 -- The US Senate Intelligence Committee said Tuesday that it agrees with the Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) from January 2017 that Russia interfered in the 2016 US election and that President Vladimir Putin personally approved the meddling campaign, despite admitting that it didn't have access to the sensitive data underpinning the report.
US Recon Planes Break Down at Sky-High Rates, Alarming Lawmakers Sputnik 03 Jul 2018 -- The US Air Force's C-135 reconnaissance aircraft are suffering mechanical issues at a significant pace, a new investigation has found.
Senate Committee Backs Intelligence Findings On Russian Meddling RFE/RL 03 Jul 2018 -- The leading U.S. congressional committee looking at Russia's meddling in the 2016 presidential race has endorsed the U.S. intelligence community conclusions, saying that Russian propaganda efforts were much greater than previously reported.
Senate Panel Agrees Russia Tried to Help Trump VOA 03 Jul 2018 -- The U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee has concluded that the intelligence community was correct in its finding that Russian President Vladimir Putin was trying to help Donald Trump when Moscow meddled in the 2016 presidential election.
Trump Again Targets a US Intelligence Agency VOA 03 Jul 2018 -- U.S. President Donald Trump's frequently contentious relationship with the country's intelligence agencies took another turn Tuesday when he questioned whether the National Security Agency is out to get him as part of a "Witch Hunt."

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