The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has released a new video to encourage Russian intelligence employees to cooperate. It was published under the headline "Why I contacted the CIA: For the Motherland" in the Russian language on Jan. 22 on X.
In the video, a fictional 35-year-old Russian man who works at GUR, Russia’s foreign military intelligence, reflects on his life and country on his birthday. A former soldier with the Airborne Forces, the man says that he wanted to serve his country, only to realize how deeply corrupt it is.
"I realized that the real enemy of Russia is within the country itself. The government sold the country for palaces and yachts. Meanwhile, our soldiers are eating rotten potatoes," he says.
At the end of the video, the CIA urges Russian spies to collaborate, saying, “People that surround you might not want to hear the truth. We do.” The CIA provides a link to contact them and advises to use the Tor browser ensuring anonymous connection.
The CIA regularly produces content to recruit Russians. In 2023, for this purpose, the agency set up YouTube and Telegram channels called "Securely Contacting CIA."
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) launched a similar effort to get information about Russian intelligence and defense from Russians in the U.S.
Following the full-scale invasion, Ukraine set up a hotline for Russian soldiers to surrender called “I Want to Live.”
As of January 2023, more than 220 Russian soldiers have surrendered through the hotline, according to the Ukrainian authorities.
Alexander Khrebet
