While the war in Ukraine grinds on, Russian spies are fighting on another front. Throughout Western countries, Russia’s intelligence agencies emulate earlier Soviet Cold War tactics and show the influence of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s KGB training on his foreign policy. Using deep undercover agents, sabotage, assassinations, and coups, Russia is working hard to extend its control over the West.

Russian strategy has long emphasized the “grey zone” of warfare, involving diplomacy and espionage in their efforts for greater global influence. With the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, it seemed that greater Western attention to Russian aggression might hamper Russian infiltration efforts. Shortly after the invasion, 600 officers of the Russian foreign intelligence service were deported from European states.