The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) released a video on social media offering Russians an encrypted way to connect with the agency, promising to ensure their safety if they share secrets about the Ukraine War and other intelligence with American spies.
The CIA has initiated a new effort to capitalise on what US intelligence officials claim is an “unprecedented” opportunity to persuade Russians dissatisfied with the Ukraine War and Russian life to disclose their country’s secrets.
CIA Urges Russians to Snitch
Since the beginning of the war, the CIA and FBI have used social media platforms and public appearances to urge Russians enraged by President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine to contact them — and have offered what they claim are safe ways to do so.
According to a CIA official, “We want to reach those brave Russians who feel compelled by the Russian government’s unjust war to engage the CIA and ensure they do so as securely as possible.”
The CIA initially shared the video on Telegram, which concludes by providing advice on contacting the CIA privately and securely. The video is also being shared on other social media sites, which include YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
According to an American official, the agency is hoping that Russians who work in sensitive industries and have access to vital information now receive the message, “We understand you, maybe better than you think.”
CIA published a video on its official YT channel encouraging Russians to make contact.
— In Context (@incontextmedia) May 16, 2023
The short video in Russian was accompanied by a text saying the agency wanted to hear from military officers, scientists & other people with information about Russia's economy & its leadership pic.twitter.com/Wypm6iMCQU
“People around you may not want to hear the truth,” the video’s narrator says. “But we do. You are not powerless. Connect with us in a safe way.” The powerful two-minute video depicts different Russians going about their daily lives, evidently contemplating significant decisions. “We will live with dignity, thanks to my actions,” the narrator says in Russian as a lady in her car calls the CIA before the agency’s emblem and contact information are displayed.
A CIA official involved in the mission stated, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has presented a historic opportunity “to have Russians come to us and deliver information the United States needs.”
Officials think that many of those individuals may not be aware that what they know is relevant or may not know how to contact the CIA. The CIA is now motivated to make a more aggressive push with the video because of the success of their earlier attempts to communicate with Russians over the past year.
On Tuesday, an official engaged in the outreach effort stated that some Russians had responded. “It is resulting in contact,” said the official. Invoking operational confidentiality, the official declined to disclose how many potential Russian operatives had been in touch with the CIA or what information they could share.
An official from the CIA stated that the video depicts “fictional Russian officials making the difficult but important decision to secretly contact the CIA using our portal on the dark web.”
Russia’s Response
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated, “I am convinced that our special services are properly monitoring this space.” “We all know perfectly well that the CIA and other Western intelligence services are not reducing their activity on the territory of our country.”
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said it is “a very convenient resource for tracking applicants.”
A few Russians responded warily to the video via social media, saying it looked like a “provocation” by Russia’s FSB security service.
President Vladimir Putin has already warned his citizens to be wary of traitors, and the Russian Parliament decided last month to increase the punishment for state treason from 20 years to life in prison.