February 2019 Intelligence News

Russian Black Sea Fleet Officer, Partner Jailed As Spies For Ukraine RFE/RL 28 Feb 2019 -- Russian authorities say an officer of Russia's Black Sea fleet and his partner have been imprisoned on charges of spying for Ukraine.
Second Spy Suspect Detained in Stockholm – Reports Sputnik 28 Feb 2019 -- A second person was detained in the Swedish capital this week on suspicion of spying, according to a court filing seen by the Dagens Nyheter newspaper.
Cohen Claims Trump Knew of WikiLeaks Email Dump VOA 27 Feb 2019 -- U.S. President Donald Trump's former longtime lawyer Michael Cohen told a congressional investigating panel Wednesday that Trump is "a racist... a con man...a cheat."
In Moscow Treason Trial, A Major Scandal For Russian Security Agency RFE/RL 27 Feb 2019 -- It is the biggest scandal to hit Russia's powerful Federal Security Service (FSB) in years.
U.S. Judge Delays Sentencing Of Russian Woman Who Admitted To Foreign-Agent Charge RFE/RL 27 Feb 2019 -- A U.S. judge has delayed the sentencing of Maria Butina, the Russian woman who admitted to working as a foreign agent to infiltrate a gun rights group and build ties with U.S. conservative political activists.
Two Russian Cybersecurity Figures Convicted Of Treason, Sentenced To Long Prison Terms RFE/RL 26 Feb 2019 -- A Russian military court has convicted a former Federal Security Service (FSB) officer and an expert at the cybersecurity company Kaspersky Lab of treason and handed them long prison terms in a case that is reportedly linked to the United States.
Butina Set To Appear In U.S. Court After Foreign Agent Guilty Plea RFE/RL 26 Feb 2019 -- Maria Butina was set to make her first appearance in U.S. federal court since pleading guilty last year to charges of being an unregistered foreign agent.
Former Israeli Minister Sentenced to 11 Years for Spying for Iran - Prosecutor Sputnik 26 Feb 2019 -- The former official, who served as energy and infrastructure minister from 1995 to 1996, has agreed to a plea bargain on charges of espionage and transfer of information to Iran.
Israeli Ex-Minister Gets 11 Years In Prison For Spying For Iran RFE/RL 26 Feb 2019 -- An Israeli court has sentenced a former cabinet minister to 11 years in prison for spying for the country's arch-foe Iran.
Kremlin Spokesman Peskov Defends Daughter's Internship At European Parliament RFE/RL 26 Feb 2019 -- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has defended his daughter's internship with a lawmaker at the European Parliament (EP) in Brussels after an RFE/RL report revealing that she works there prompted concerns among lawmakers.
Putin's Spokesman Reveals What His Daughter Is Doing in European Parliament Sputnik 26 Feb 2019 -- Several European politicians have indicated that Dmitry Peskov's daughter, who is studying in France, could have a conflict of interest, but the French MEP who hired the intern said she had the full right to enter the programme and that she does not have access to sensitive data.
Report: U.S. Cyber Force Cut Internet Access To Russian 'Troll Factory' RFE/RL 26 Feb 2019 -- The Washington Post is reporting that a U.S. military agency blocked the Internet access of a Russian firm that intelligence agencies believed was trying to influence the 2018 U.S. midterm elections.
Exclusive: Daughter Of Putin's Spokesman Working In European Parliament RFE/RL 25 Feb 2019 -- The daughter of Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman works as an intern in the European Parliament in Brussels, and has unhindered access to various EU documents, RFE/RL has learned.
Butina Lawyer to Russian State Media: Deportation Logistics Underway VOA 23 Feb 2019 -- The attorney for Maria Butina, the Russian women whom U.S. federal prosecutors have charged with illegal foreign lobbying, says her passport has been handed over to U.S. immigration officials to expedite her anticipated deportation to Russia.
Washington Lawyers Move To Delay Deadline For Turning Over Lesin Autopsy Records RFE/RL 22 Feb 2019 -- City lawyers in Washington, D.C., have moved to delay turning over autopsy documents related to the death of former Russian Press Minister Mikhail Lesin, following a judge's order to release the files.
Two Pakistani Army Officers on Trial for Spying VOA 22 Feb 2019 -- Pakistan's military, in a rare announcement, said Friday that it had initiated court-martial proceedings against two senior officers on charges of espionage.
Poisoned Bulgarian Arms Dealer Suggests Attackers Had Help Inside Bulgaria RFE/RL 21 Feb 2019 -- Emil Gebrev, a Bulgarian businessman who fell into a coma in April 2015 with symptoms of severe poisoning, says he believes whoever was involved in the attack against him had help from inside Bulgaria.
Indian Ex-Naval Officer On Death Row Is A 'Terrorist,' Pakistan Tells UN court RFE/RL 19 Feb 2019 -- An Indian citizen on death row in Pakistan for alleged spying committed "terrorist" acts on New Delhi's orders, lawyers representing Islamabad told the UN's top court on the second day of a hearing over the fate of the man.
Former Russian Intelligence Officer Released From Prison RFE/RL 19 Feb 2019 -- Former Russian intelligence officer Vladimir Kvachkov, known for his radical views about the Russian leadership, has been released from prison after his conviction for incitement to hatred was annulled following the partial decriminalization of extremism in the Criminal Code.
Beijing urges US to objectively view intelligence laws Global Times 18 Feb 2019-- The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday urged the US to view China's intelligence related laws in a comprehensive and objective manner instead of making one-sided, biased and wrong interpretations.
Facebook Blocks 'Wildly Popular' RT-Run Page RFE/RL 18 Feb 2019 -- Facebook has blocked a popular page run by Russia's state-funded RT television channel, saying it was part of ongoing efforts to improve its transparency program.
ICJ Begins Hearing Case of Indian National on Death Row in Pakistan Sputnik 18 Feb 2019 -- India had moved the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in May 2017 after Indian national and former Navy personnel Kulbhushan Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism.
Fired Dep. FBI Chief Claims Trump Trusted Putin Rather Than US Intel on N Korea Sputnik 18 Feb 2019 -- Earlier, it was reported that North Korea had a whole array of operational missile bases despite Pyongyang's promise to work towards the complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, a goal which had been established during a summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore in June 2018.
Third Russian named as suspect in UK spy poisoning case Press TV 16 Feb 2019 -- European security sources have confirmed that a third Russian national has been identified by investigators in Britain as a suspect in a case related to the poisoning of a former Russian spy in southern England last year.
Letter From Bulgarian Intelligence Refutes Talk That 'Umbrella Murder' Victim Georgi Markov Was A Spy RFE/RL 15 Feb 2019 -- A Bulgarian historian has uncovered a document contradicting communist-era rumors that exiled dissident Georgi Markov worked as an agent abroad for Bulgarian foreign intelligence before his 1978 assassination.
Former FBI Chief: Law Enforcement Officials Mulled Ousting Trump VOA 14 Feb 2019 -- The Trump administration is firing back at a former Federal Bureau of Investigation acting director who says top federal law enforcement officials considered invoking a constitutional amendment to remove the president after he fired then-FBI Director James Comey.
US officials discussed if Trump could be removed from office: Ex-FBI deputy director Press TV 14 Feb 2019 -- US Justice Department officials were so concerned about President Donald Trump's fitness for office in May 2017 that they discussed whether Trump could be removed from office, according to former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe.
Trump admin. revives secret plan to sabotage Iran's missiles: Report Press TV 14 Feb 2019 -- The administration of US President Donald Trump has reportedly revived a secret plan to sabotage Iran's ballistic missiles as part of its broader plan to weaken the Islamic Republic's military might and harm its economy.
Bellingcat Names Possible Third Russian GRU Agent Suspected Of Skripal Poisonings RFE/RL 14 Feb 2019 -- The British-based open-source investigation group Bellingcat said on February 14 that it has established the identity of an alleged Russian military intelligence officer who was in England when former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok.
U.S. Judge Orders Officials To Turn Over Lesin Autopsy Records RFE/RL 14 Feb 2019 -- A Washington judge has ordered the city medical examiner to turn over dozens of autopsy records and other files in the investigation of Mikhail Lesin, the former Russian press minister who was found dead in a D.C. hotel room under suspicious circumstances more than three years ago.
US Intensifies Sabotage Campaign on Iran's Missiles, Space Program – Report Sputnik 14 Feb 2019 -- The US initiated and "accelerated" a secret program to sabotage Iran's rocket and missile tests as part of a campaign to weaken Tehran's military and suffocate its economy, the New York Times reports.
Former U.S. Counterintelligence Agent Charged With Espionage on Behalf of Iran; Four Iranians Charged With a Cyber Campaign Targeting Her Former Colleagues US Dept. of Justice 13 Feb 2019 -- Monica Elfriede Witt, 39, a former U.S. service member and counterintelligence agent, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia for conspiracy to deliver and delivering national defense information to representatives of the Iranian government. Witt, who defected to Iran in 2013, is alleged to have assisted Iranian intelligence services in targeting her former fellow agents in the U.S. Intelligence Community (USIC). Witt is also alleged to have disclosed the code name and classified mission of a U.S. Department of Defense Special Access Program.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers Delivers Remarks on the Unsealing of United States v. Monica Witt, et al. US Dept. of Justice 13 Feb 2019
US Air Force agent charged with espionage after allegedly defecting to Iran Press TV 13 Feb 2019 -- A US Air Force intelligence specialist has been charged with espionage for allegedly defecting to Iran and revealing sensitive information to Iranian authorities, the Unites States claims.
U.S. Accuses Former Air Force Officer Of Spying For Iran RFE/RL 13 Feb 2019 -- The U.S. Justice Department has indicted a former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer for aiding Iran in what Washington says was a cyberespionage operation targeting U.S. intelligence officers.
US Charges Former Air Force Intel Officer With Spying for Iran VOA 13 Feb 2019 -- A former U.S. Air Force counterintelligence officer who defected to Iran nearly six years ago has been charged with revealing classified military information to the Iranian government and helping Iran target her former co-workers, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.
Iran-based Entities and Individuals Sanctioned Under E.O. 13606 and 13224 US Dept. of State 13 Feb 2019 -- "Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated an Iran-based entity, as well as four associated individuals, that organize international conferences in support of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force's (IRGC-QF's) efforts to recruit and collect intelligence from foreign attendees, including U.S. persons."
Treasury Sanctions Iranian Organizations and Individuals Supporting Intelligence and Cyber Targeting of U.S. Persons US Treasury 13 Feb 2019 -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated an Iran-based entity that organizes international conferences that supported the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force's (IRGC-QF's) efforts to recruit and collect intelligence from foreign attendees, including U.S. persons, and four associated individuals.
Leidos to Lead on Integration of Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Australia Department of Defence 12 Feb 2019 -- Minister for Defence, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, and Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Steven Ciobo MP, today announced Leidos Australia Pty Ltd as the Prime System Integrator to deliver the first tranche of Joint Project 2096 Phase 1.
Estonian Army Officer, Father Jailed For Spying For Russia RFE/RL 11 Feb 2019 -- An Estonian court has found a former army officer and his father guilty of committing treason by spying for Russia.
Norway Claims Russia, China Strengthening Intelligence Activities Against Oslo Sputnik 11 Feb 2019 -- The Norwegian Intelligence Service believes that Russian and Chinese security services are stepping up reconnaissance activities against the Nordic state, VG newspaper reported on Monday, citing the agency's report.
Chinese Embassy Dismisses Media Reports About Chinese Spies Working in Brussels Sputnik 11 Feb 2019 -- The Chinese Embassy in Belgium has rejected media reports claiming that hundreds of Chinese spies are operating in Brussels as a hoax.
Alleged Third Suspect in Skripal Case Visited Bulgaria in 2015 - Prosecutor Sputnik 11 Feb 2019 -- Bulgaria's Prosecutor General Sotir Tsatsarov has said that a third suspect in the Salisbury incident had paid three visits to Bulgaria in 2015, including when Bulgarian businessman Emilian Gebrev was presumably poisoned.
Bulgarian Prime Minister, British Envoy Discuss Links Between Skripal, Gebrev Cases RFE/RL 11 Feb 2019 -- The British ambassador to Sofia has discussed with top Bulgarian officials possible links between the 2015 poisoning of a local businessman in Bulgaria and last year's nerve-agent attack on a former Russian spy in Britain.
Bulgaria Set To Probe Report Of Third Skripal Suspect RFE/RL 09 Feb 2019 -- Bulgarian officials say they will investigate reports that a third suspect in the 2018 nerve-agent attack on a former Russian spy in Britain may have also been involved in a 2015 poisoning in Bulgaria.
'Hundreds' Of Chinese, Russia Agents 'Operating' In Brussels RFE/RL 09 Feb 2019 -- Hundreds of Russian and Chinese intelligence agents are operating in Brussels, the EU's foreign service has warned.
Swarming with Spooks: Brussels Claimed to be Overrun with Chinese, Russian Spies Sputnik 09 Feb 2019 -- Brussels is a hotbed of Russian and Chinese spies according to a recent report from a popular German newspaper.
China denies 'ridiculous' spying allegations against Huawei by Lithuania Press TV 09 Feb 2019 -- China has dismissed allegations made by US ally Lithuania against its telecommunication giant Huawei Technologies, describing them as "absurd and ridiculous."
Mystery In Sofia: Did 'Third Russian Agent' In Skripal Poisoning Target Bulgarian Businessman? RFE/RL 08 Feb 2019 -- A third suspect in the 2018 nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy in Britain was also in Bulgaria three years earlier at the time of another suspicious poisoning, according to the open-source investigative organization Bellingcat.
Trump Accuses House Intel Chief of Collusion With Creators of Russia 'Dossier' Sputnik 08 Feb 2019 -- House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff colluded with the creators of a controversial dossier published during the 2016 presidential campaign Fusion GPS and the company's founder Glenn Simpson, President Donald Trump charged in a series of Twitter messages on Friday.
Media Claims UK Police Investigating Total of 5 Russians in Salisbury Case Sputnik 08 Feb 2019 -- The UK police have identified two more Russian nationals suspected of involvement in the Salisbury poisoning incident, bringing the total number of suspects to five, local media reported, citing senior security sources.
US House intel panel to probe collusion with Russia Press TV 06 Feb 2019 -- The US House of Representatives' intelligence panel is set to investigate "any links or coordination between US persons and the Russian government."
Trump Calls New Probe Into Alleged Collusion With Russia 'Unlimited Harassment' Sputnik 07 Feb 2019 -- US President Donald Trump has stated that the new probe launched into his alleged collusion with Russia by the US House Intelligence Committee as "unlimited presidential harassment".
Friend Of Russia's Butina Indicted On Fraud, Money-Laundering Charges RFE/RL 07 Feb 2019 -- A conservative U.S. political activist who has been identified as the boyfriend of admitted Russian agent Maria Butina has been indicted by a federal grand jury in South Dakota, officials say.
Frustrated With Textron RQ-7 Shadow UAVs, US Army Considers Replacements Sputnik 07 Feb 2019 -- The US Army is looking to find a replacement fleet for its current collection of Textron RQ-7 Shadow tactical unmanned air systems as a result of the UAVs' faulty acoustic signatures.
Trump's Intel Briefers Told Not to Contradict His Past Public Claims - Reports Sputnik 03 Feb 2019 -- Top intelligence officials this week challenged Donald Trump in their assessment of foreign threats to US security, warning about the looming resurgence of Daesh* and North Korea's unwillingness to completely commit to denuclearisation, as well as praising Iran for its compliance with the nuclear deal.
As she enters White House race, demonization of 'Kremlin's crush' Tulsi Gabbard goes full tilt RT 03 Feb 2019 -- The sky may have been clear in Hawaii when Tulsi Gabbard read her speech promising to fight "greed and corruption," but she enters her bid under a cloud of negative media coverage and accusations of being Russia's darling.
Trump makes U-turn on US intelligence, says they're 'in agreement' Press TV 01 Feb 2019 -- A day after he slammed the US intelligence community over their assessment of global threats to America, US President Donald Trump abruptly reversed course and said he and US spy officials "are all on the same page."

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