The GRU illegals

The GRU illegals are intelligence officers operating abroad using false identities under cover, without diplomatic immunity, engaged in espionage and clandestine operations. Originating in the Soviet era and continuing in modern Russia, these illegals mostly work under the SVR and focus on espionage, sabotage, and subversion. The former KGB First Chief Directorate oversaw such illegal programs, which have lasted over a century. Notable historical operatives include Richard Sorge in Japan during WWII, and the Red Orchestra spy network in Europe. During WWII, the GRU also infiltrated the US Manhattan Project via agent George Koval. Recent high-profile arrests after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine include Pavel Rubtsov, Mikhail Mikushin (exchanged in a prisoner swap in 2024), Sergey Cherkasov (detained in the Netherlands in 2022), and Olga Kolobova, a GRU illegal posing as a socialite and jewelry designer. Despite technological advances making illegal operations risky, the Russian GRU continues to maintain its illegal espionage program, driven by historical legacy and strategic motives.