Russia’s spies red-faced after multiple plots uncovered

[Tony Koretz]

Russia’s spies red-faced after multiple plots uncovered

“More Johnny English than James Bond,” was how British Security Minister Ben Wallace branded the failed assassination of Russian double agent Sergei Skripal on British soil last March, for which UK authorities blame Russia’s military intelligence service the GRU, pronounced “Groo.”

Given that even Russian media as partisan as Sputnik are now conceding that the two suspects fingered by London are, indeed, GRU officers, the Skripal saga is starting to make the feared spy agency look farcical.

It is a major turnaround from the early days of the investigation. Then, British authorities pointed the finger, but failed to produce evidence. As a result, London’s version of events was roundly mocked by Russian ministers, spokespersons and media, which also produced a range of conspiracy theories.

Most asserted that Russia was blameless, that it was Western powers attempting to blacken Russia’s reputation.

Things look different now. Much more data has recently emerged that goes far beyond the Skripal case. It reveals malignant and, at times, sloppy GRU activities taking place around the globe – activities which would appear to extend well beyond the remit of a military intelligence organization.

With incompetence by Moscow operatives being revealed not only by Western counter-intelligence, but even by investigative websites using open-source data, some of which has now been confirmed by Russia media, the derision voiced by Russian officials and pro-Kremlin media is ringing increasingly false.

Agents’ IDs confirmed

The clumsiness of the two wannabe Skripal assassins, first identified as Ruslan Boshirov and Aleksandr Petrov, appears remarkable. Skripal, their target, survived the poisoning. An innocent bystander died accidentally. And the alleged perpetrators were caught by police cameras.

Russian authorities denied that the two suspects, whose images were released by the British government, were spies. “Of course, they are civilians,” announced no less a person than President Vladimir Putin – himself a former KGB officer – adding there was nothing “special or criminal” in their background.

Shortly after, Boshirov and Petrov appeared in an interview with pro-Kremlin TV channel RT. There, they denied any involvement in the attack, defining themselves as simple tourists who had visited the English town of Salisbury simply to enjoy its cathedral’s architecture.

However, their cover story was full of holes and their claims of innocence would soon be discredited. An investigation carried out by investigatory websites Bellingcat and The Insider named Boshirov and Petrov as, respectively, GRU Colonel Anatoly Chepiga and military doctor Aleksandr Mishkin.

Bellingcat reporters found pictures of a man strongly resembling “tourist” Boshirov in the archives of a Russian Far East military school that specialized in “foreign language training and clandestine operations.”

By cross-referencing passport data and using open sources databases, the reporters identified Boshirov as decorated GRU Colonel Anatoly Chepiga. Shortly after, the same investigative team uncovered the identity of Petrov, who reportedly is GRU military doctor Aleksandr Mishkin. A parallel investigation, conducted by The Daily Telegraph in London, reached the same conclusion.

READ MORE http://www.atimes.com/article/russias-spies-red-faced-after-multiple-plots-uncovered/

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