April 2022 Intelligence News

Mossad Prevents Assassination Attempt on Israeli Diplomat in Turkey - Reports Sputnik 30 Apr 2022 -- The Israeli intelligence agency Mossad has prevented an alleged Iranian-organized assassination attempt on an Israeli consulate employee in Turkey on Saturday, the Haaretz newspaper reported, citing officials.
Annual Statistical Transparency Report - Calendar Year 2021 Director of National Intelligence 28 Apr 2022 -- Today, consistent with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA), as amended (codified in 50 U.S.C. § 1873(b)), and the Intelligence Community's (IC) Principles of Intelligence Transparency, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence released the ninth annual Statistical Transparency Report Regarding Use of National Security Surveillance Authorities.
US Reportedly Lifts Restrictions on Intel Sharing With Ukraine Amid Action in East, South Sputnik 27 Apr 2022 -- The United States lifted restrictions on intelligence sharing with Ukraine amid increased military action in the country's southern and eastern areas, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing a person familiar with the matter.
Rewards for Justice - Reward Offer for Information on Russian Military Intelligence Officers Conducting Malicious Activity Against U.S. Critical Infrastructure US Dept. of State 26 Apr 2022 -- The U.S. Department of State's Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program, which is administered by the Diplomatic Security Service, is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification or location of any person who, while acting at the direction or under the control of a foreign government, participates in malicious cyber activities against U.S. critical infrastructure in violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA).
Iran Arrests Three 'Mossad Spies' Who Stole Classified Documents Sputnik 21 Apr 2022 -- Tehran reported last year annihilating a Mossad spy network in the country's west. According to the Islamic Republic's authorities, the group planned in instigate riots in Iran and that a large cache of weapons was seized during their arrest.
Iran's intel forces arrest three Mossad spies in SE province Press TV 21 Apr 2022 -- Iran's Intelligence Ministry has arrested three agents working for the Israeli Mossad spy agency in the country's southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan.
UK court issues formal order to extradite Julian Assange to US Press TV 20 Apr 2022 -- A court in the United Kingdom (UK) has issued a formal order to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States, where he could face a lifetime in prison for espionage charges.
China Urges US to Clarify Situation With CIA's Beehive Spyware Sputnik 20 Apr 2022 -- China called on the United States to clarify the situation regarding its Beehive malware attack and control systems developed and infiltrated by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in many countries around the world, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Wednesday.
Israeli spyware Pegasus used to hack UK PM Johnson's office, report reveals Press TV 19 Apr 2022 -- A Canadian tech organization has found that Israel's Pegasus spyware was used against a device connected to the network of the British government, in a stunning revelation that the notorious malware has been employed against Tel Aviv's allies.
Cybersecurity Group Says Catalan Leaders Targeted With Spyware VOA 18 Apr 2022 -- A group of Catalan separatists, including several members of the European Parliament, other politicians, lawyers and activists from Spain's northeastern region, had their phones hacked with a controversial spyware called Pegasus, a cybersecurity firm said Monday.
Wedding photographer sentenced to 14 years in prison for providing hundreds of photos of warships and military ports to a person overseas Global Times 18 Apr 2022 -- A wedding photographer has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for endangering national security, after he was found providing 384 photos of Chinese warships and military ports to a person overseas that he met via WeChat, the Supreme People's Procuratorate disclosed on Sunday.
NROL-85 launches from Vandenberg Vanderberg SFB 17 Apr 2022 -- Team Vandenberg launched the National Reconnaissance Office mission (NROL-85) from Space Launch Complex-4 East here Sunday, April 17, at 6:13 a.m. Pacific Time.
North Macedonia Expels Six Russian Diplomats RFE/RL 15 Apr 2022 -- North Macedonia has declared six Russian diplomats personae non gratae for violating diplomatic norms and ordered them to leave the country, the Foreign Ministry said on April 15.
Russia's Electronic Warfare Troops Catch NATO Spying on Russian Cellphones, Create Countermeasures Sputnik 15 Apr 2022 -- The use of civilian telephony for military and intelligence purposes has long been a major concern for counterintelligence services. The Russian military has implemented a special system aimed at preventing unauthorised access to the information of Russia-based cellular subscribers.
CIA Chief Says Threat Russia Could Use Nuclear Weapons Is Something U.S. Cannot 'Take Lightly' RFE/RL 15 Apr 2022 -- CIA Director William Burns said the threat of Russia potentially using nuclear weapons in Ukraine could not be taken lightly, but the agency had not seen much evidence reinforcing that concern.
The Role of Intelligence at a Transformational Moment - Speech by CIA Director William Burns CIA 14 Apr 2022
US Spy Chief Warns of Russia's Nuclear Threats, 'Potential Desperation' VOA 14 Apr 2022 -- Russia's nuclear saber-rattling has the attention of top U.S. intelligence officials, some of whom are expressing growing concern about the Kremlin's willingness to unleash some of its nuclear arsenal as it faces "potential desperation" in Ukraine.
Russian Legislator and Two Staff Members Charged with Conspiring to Have U.S. Citizen Act as an Illegal Agent of the Russian Government in the United States US Dept. of Justice 14 Apr 2022 -- Russian Legislator Aleksandr Mikhaylovich Babakov and Staff Members Aleksandr Nikolayevich Vorobev and Mikhail Alekseyevich Plisyuk, Allegedly Conspired to Violate U.S. Sanctions, Have a U.S. Citizen Act as an Unregistered Agent of Russia, and Fraudulently Obtain Visas to Enter the U.S. in Furtherance of a Global Foreign Influence Scheme for the Russian Government
Russian Lawmaker, Staffers Charged With Spreading Disinformation To Sway U.S. Public Opinion On Ukraine RFE/RL 14 Apr 2022 -- A Russian State Duma legislator and two aides have been charged in the United States with conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions over an alleged international foreign influence and disinformation network to advance Russian interests.
Russian Scientist At German University Convicted Of Spying, Handed Suspended Sentence RFE/RL 13 Apr 2022 -- A German court has handed a Russian scientist a one-year suspended sentence for spying after he admitted to supplying publicly available information on a European rocket program to an employee of the Russian Consulate General in Munich.
Defense Intelligence Agency Report Details Space-Based Threats From Competitors DoD News 12 Apr 2022 -- The Defense Intelligence Agency today released the new unclassified report, "Challenges to Security in Space 2022," which is a follow-up to its similarly titled report in 2019.
Russia & China Seeking to Become Leading Space Powers, US Defense Intelligence Agency Claims Sputnik 12 Apr 2022 -- Russia and China seek to become leading space powers and intend to create new global space norms to undercut the United States' global leadership, the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) said on Tuesday.
Poland Arrests Russian Man On Espionage Charge RFE/RL 12 Apr 2022 -- A prosecutor-general's office says it has arrested a Russian national on suspicion that he allegedly collected information about Poland's military units, their supplies, and staff members at the request of Russian intelligence.
Latvia Detains Belarusian National On Espionage Charge RFE/RL 11 Apr 2022 -- Latvian authorities say they detained a Belarusian citizen on an espionage charge in mid-February, saying that he allegedly collected information on Latvia's military facilities for Belarusian intelligence.
Press release on retaliatory measures in connection with the expulsion of Russian diplomats from Poland Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 08 Apr 2022
Russia Says It Is Expelling Diplomats From Bulgaria, Poland In Tit-For-Tat Move RFE/RL 08 Apr 2022 -- Russia's Foreign Ministry says it is expelling Bulgarian and Polish diplomats in a tit-for-tat move after Sofia and Warsaw sent home Russian diplomats last month.
Air Force Cryptologic Office establishes new information dominance initiative US Air Force 08 Apr 2022 -- The Air Force Cryptologic Office recently established the first Converged Air Force Enterprise Mission framework to harness total enterprise capacity and deliver information dominance now and for decades to come.
Chinese National Sentenced for Economic Espionage Conspiracy US Dept. of Justice 07 Apr 2022 -- A Chinese national formerly residing in Chesterfield, Missouri, was today sentenced to 29 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and a $150,000 fine for conspiring to commit economic espionage.
Jury Convicts University of Kansas Researcher for Hiding Ties to Chinese Government US Dept. of Justice 07 Apr 2022 -- A former University of Kansas (KU) professor was today convicted by a federal jury on three counts of wire fraud and one count of false statements after he deliberately concealed that he was also employed by a government-affiliated university in the People's Republic of China (PRC), while working on U.S. government funded research at KU.
Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's response to a media question about Russia's alleged preparations for cybersecurity attacks against the United States Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 07 Apr 2022
German Intel Claims Intercepts Show Russians Discussing Killing Ukrainian Civilians VOA 07 Apr 2022 -- German intelligence officials say they have intercepted radio communications in which Russian troops discussed indiscriminately killing civilians in Ukraine, undercutting claims by Moscow that atrocities were only committed after its military left occupied suburbs near the capital of Kyiv.
Justice Department Announces Court-Authorized Disruption of Botnet Controlled by the Russian Federation's Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) US Dept. of Justice 06 Apr 2022 -- Operation Copied and Removed Malware Known as "Cyclops Blink" from the Botnet's Command-And-Control Devices, Disrupting the GRU's Control Over Thousands of Infected Devices Worldwide. Victims Must Take Additional Steps to Remediate the Vulnerability and Prevent Malicious Actors From Further Exploiting Unpatched Devices.
Peskov Not Ruling Out Cutting Diplomatic Ties With West if Expulsion of Russian Diplomats Continues Sputnik 06 Apr 2022 -- Over the week, a handful of countries in the West have expelled Russian diplomats, including Denmark, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, and Spain. Furthermore, the European Union kicked 19 Russian employees out of Russia's permanent mission in the bloc.
Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's answer to a media question about Finland's seizure of Russian artwork Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 06 Apr 2022
Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's comment on the expulsion of Russian diplomats from Greece Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 06 Apr 2022
Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's comment on the Slovenian authorities' unfriendly actions Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 06 Apr 2022
Comment by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Romania's decision to declare Russian diplomats personae non gratae Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 06 Apr 2022
Comment by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on the expulsion of Russian diplomats from the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 06 Apr 2022
EU expels "a number of" Russian diplomats People's Daily 06 Apr 2022 -- The European Union (EU) has declared a number of Russian diplomats working in Brussels "persona non grata" and ordered them to leave host nation Belgium, the bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Tuesday.
Denmark expels 15 Russian diplomats on espionage accusation People's Daily 06 Apr 2022 -- Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod announced the expulsion of 15 Russian diplomatic staff members during a Foreign Policy Board meeting on Tuesday, accusing them as "intelligence officers" for espionage.
Latvia closes Russia's consulates, expels staff People's Daily 06 Apr 2022 -- Latvia on Tuesday ordered the closure of Russia's two consular posts and declared the diplomatic staff there personae non grata. They must leave the country by April 30.
Italy, Romania expel 40 Russian diplomats People's Daily 06 Apr 2022 -- Italy's foreign ministry announced the expulsion of 30 Russian diplomats on Tuesday for what it called "reasons related to national security."
Portugal expels 10 Russian embassy employees People's Daily 06 Apr 2022 -- Portugal on Tuesday announced its decision to expel 10 employees of the Russian Embassy in Lisbon, the country's Lusa News Agency has reported.
Spain to expel 27 Russian diplomats People's Daily 06 Apr 2022 -- Spain will expel 27 Russian diplomats and embassy staff in the next few days, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said here on Tuesday.
Moscow Reserves Right to Respond to Expulsion of Russian Diplomats From France Sputnik 05 Apr 2022 -- Paris previously announced it would expel a number of Russian diplomats from the country citing a "security threat" they allegedly pose - according to BFM TV, at least 35 dimplomats are on the list.
European Countries Expel Dozens More Russian Diplomats After Ukraine Reports RFE/RL 05 Apr 2022 -- Several European countries have announced the expulsions of dozens of Russian diplomats amid reports of alleged atrocities being committed in Ukraine by Russian troops, including in the town of Bucha, where many civilians appear to have been executed.
Somali Spy Agency: Terrorist Group Plotting to Kill Top Leaders VOA 05 Apr 2022 -- Somalia's National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) says terrorist group al-Shabab is plotting to assassinate the country's president and prime minister.
France to expel Russian diplomats People's Daily 05 Apr 2022 -- France's Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs said on Monday that the country has decided to expel "many" Russian diplomats, "whose activities are contrary to our security interests."
Kazakh Counterintel Detains 'Foreign Agent' Who Planned Assassination of Country's President Sputnik 03 Apr 2022 -- So far, the Kazakh authorities have not specified where the suspect is from. According to the counterintelligence, the agent had a sniper rifle, a large sum of money, and some drugs.
Former GE Power Engineer Convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Economic Espionage US Dept. of Justice 01 Apr 2022 -- Yesterday, a federal jury convicted a New York man of conspiracy to commit economic espionage following a four-week jury trial. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Xiaoqing Zheng, 59, of Niskayuna, was employed at GE Power & Water in Schenectady, New York, as an engineer specializing in sealing technology.
Germany charges former reserve officer with spying for Russia People's Daily 02 Apr 2022 -- The German Public Prosecutor General said on Friday that it had filed charges against a former Bundeswehr reserve officer who allegedly supplied a Russian intelligence agency with information between 2014 and 2020.
Bulgaria expels Russian diplomat People's Daily 02 Apr 2022 -- Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday evening that it has declared one diplomat at the Russian Embassy in Sofia persona non grata and given him 72 hours to leave the country.

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