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Husband and wife outed as GRU spies aiding bombings and poisonings across Europe

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Re: Husband and wife outed as GRU spies aiding bombings and poisonings across Europe

#101

Post by ivan_gammel »

chatmasta wrote: post #90
mmsc wrote: post #71

> In both cases, she used sophisticated tradecraft that sought to leave no trace in databases accessible to European authorities. For instance, she booked her trips and bought her plane tickets using her Czech passport, registering only that nationality with the Greek airline. But upon crossing the Russian border, Šapošnikova used her secret Russian passport, thus bypassing the need to obtain a Russian visa issued to…

Many (most?) countries do not require you to show any passport when exiting the country. (But if you’re traveling by air, then the next country you enter will likely share your passport details with the country you just departed.)

Can you give an example? Sounds strange to me. Even within Schengen area there can be temporary border checks and you usually need to identify yourself when leaving it.

Re: Husband and wife outed as GRU spies aiding bombings and poisonings across Europe

#102

Post by FabHK »

chatmasta wrote: post #90
mmsc wrote: post #71

> In both cases, she used sophisticated tradecraft that sought to leave no trace in databases accessible to European authorities. For instance, she booked her trips and bought her plane tickets using her Czech passport, registering only that nationality with the Greek airline. But upon crossing the Russian border, Šapošnikova used her secret Russian passport, thus bypassing the need to obtain a Russian visa issued to…

Many (most?) countries do not require you to show any passport when exiting the country. (But if you’re traveling by air, then the next country you enter will likely share your passport details with the country you just departed.)

Examples/source? According to this stack overflow question, the US is (fairly) unique in not having immigration exit checks.

https://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/122289/why-don-t-...

Re: Husband and wife outed as GRU spies aiding bombings and poisonings across Europe

#103

Post by Barrin92 »

temporarely wrote: post #41
aaronbrethorst wrote: post #9

This is my semi annual plug for all of you to watch the fantastic and somehow forgotten FX network TV show, The Americans, A spy drama set in Washington DC in the 1980s about KGB “illegals” posing as travel agents. It’s way better than any basic cable TV show had any right to be. Plus, all seasons are streaming on Hulu, so you don’t have to worry about whether the story will be completed. https://www.hulu.com/series/…

The most realistic Russian sleeper scenario imo was in Slow Horses. Brits don't insult your intelligence too greatly in their spook shows; the American variety always involves some sort of super-human characters. It's good as entertainment, the Americans, but just over the top.

>Brits don't insult your intelligence too greatly in their spook shows; the American variety always involves some sort of super-human characters.

This is why I could never get into House of Cards, it's just so over the top compared to something like Borgen which for me to this day is still one of the best political dramas ever made, also sadly went somewhat under the radar especially across the pond.

Re: Husband and wife outed as GRU spies aiding bombings and poisonings across Europe

#104

Post by FabHK »

dboreham wrote: post #32
tharmas wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I recommend "The Octopus Murders" on Netflix. The "spy world" is active in all kinds of activities. Many unsavory. All in the name of "the National Interest". Also the story of Gary Webb is quite interesting too.

Agreed. See also Epstein. Very spook-connected dude.

And Jan Marsalek, of fake German payment startup Wirecard.

Re: Husband and wife outed as GRU spies aiding bombings and poisonings across Europe

#105

Post by jjtheblunt »

temporarely wrote: post #70
jjtheblunt wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah but "the dogs" in Slow Horses is laughably out of control ridiculous at points...reaches out of your immersion in the interesting story to grab you, shake you, and declare what you're watching is absurd hyperbole. Very disappointed by that aspect and I hope they're done with that excess.

That's a fair statement. My standard for this type of show remains BBC's Tinker Tailor Solider Spy (1979) and the follow up Smiley's People (1982). Alec Guinness owns Smiley. Just perfect. Absolutely gripping yet low budget [+] it actually demands that you use your intellect to keep up. If you haven't seen those I say whip up ye old torrent client and get some. Anyways, I did say "too greatly". Someone up there says…

agreed: john le carre bbc is great. also loved Luther, slightly off topic.

Re: Husband and wife outed as GRU spies aiding bombings and poisonings across Europe

#106

Post by vkou »

timthelion wrote: post #40

What I don't understand is why the attack on the Czech Republic was not seen as an attack by Russia on NATO.

For the same reason that shooting down an Iranian passenger airliner or blowing up its centrifuges isn't considered an attack on Iran.

Also because most of us aren't interested in nuclear war over anything less than an existential threat. And the odds of conventional war between nuclear powers escalating into nuclear war is too fucking high. You'll need a better reason than 'someone blew up a weapons stockpile' to risk that.

If you're not going to risk open war over a full invasion of Ukraine, we sure won't risk it over an arms depot.

De-escalation-by-default is a feature, not a bug in a world where the push of a button can kill a billion people (much to the chagrin of people who have never had war waged against them).

Re: Husband and wife outed as GRU spies aiding bombings and poisonings across Europe

#107

Post by llmllmllm »

FabHK wrote: post #102
chatmasta wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Many (most?) countries do not require you to show any passport when exiting the country. (But if you’re traveling by air, then the next country you enter will likely share your passport details with the country you just departed.)

Examples/source? According to this stack overflow question, the US is (fairly) unique in not having immigration exit checks. https://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/122289/why-don-t-...

The UK doesn't have exit checks.

Re: Husband and wife outed as GRU spies aiding bombings and poisonings across Europe

#108

Post by Karellen »

Barrin92 wrote: post #103
temporarely wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The most realistic Russian sleeper scenario imo was in Slow Horses. Brits don't insult your intelligence too greatly in their spook shows; the American variety always involves some sort of super-human characters. It's good as entertainment, the Americans, but just over the top.

>Brits don't insult your intelligence too greatly in their spook shows; the American variety always involves some sort of super-human characters. This is why I could never get into House of Cards, it's just so over the top compared to something like Borgen which for me to this day is still one of the best political dramas ever made, also sadly went somewhat under the radar especially across the pond.

Did you check out the original UK House of Cards? Worth catching if you can find it.

Re: Husband and wife outed as GRU spies aiding bombings and poisonings across Europe

#109

Post by askonomm »

ivan_gammel wrote: post #101
chatmasta wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Many (most?) countries do not require you to show any passport when exiting the country. (But if you’re traveling by air, then the next country you enter will likely share your passport details with the country you just departed.)

Can you give an example? Sounds strange to me. Even within Schengen area there can be temporary border checks and you usually need to identify yourself when leaving it.

In-shengen border controls are extremely easy to bypass, and if you travel a lot you know exactly where they are (especially since it is quite rare). Baltic countries have no checks at all at the borders, so you can go Sweden to Finland, Finland to Estonia, Estonia all the way down to Poland without any checks at all, easy. I know there's often a check at the France / Spain border, but I also know they only check busses and rarely any cars, so you can just either drive through with a rental car or just walk over (I once got my ID stolen and could not get over with a bus, so I hitchhicked / walked from Nice to Barcelona).

Re: Husband and wife outed as GRU spies aiding bombings and poisonings across Europe

#110

Post by seydor »

captn3m0 wrote: post #52

> In both cases, she used sophisticated tradecraft that sought to leave no trace in databases accessible to European authorities. For instance, she booked her trips and bought her plane tickets using her Czech passport, registering only that nationality with the Greek airline. But upon crossing the Russian border, Šapošnikova used her secret Russian passport, thus bypassing the need to obtain a Russian visa issued to…

> Furthermore, Elena owned a company registered in the Marshall Islands and controlled two bank accounts in Switzerland.

If airlines could be fooled, you'd think at least Swiss banks would do some KYC

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