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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

#331

Post by rmcpherson »

scrumper wrote: post #57
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.

That was a brilliant show. Not just because of Gary Oldman. Well-drawn characters throughout. I've just started season 3 so no spoilers please :)

If you enjoy Slow Horses, I highly recommend the book series it’s based on. I’m not sure if Mick Herron wrote the books with Gary Oldman in mind, but it’s the perfect Oldman character nonetheless. The show is quite a faithful adaptation of the books, even down to some lines. Excellent review of Oldman in the 3rd season: https://defector.com/gary-oldman-is-gross-and-loving-it?gift...

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

#332

Post by nwatson »

pohl wrote: post #317
vlovich123 wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Keri Russell a lightweight? I’m curious what gave you that impression as I’ve always thought of her as an excellent actress. Probably missing out on The Diplomat too if you like political intrigue at all.

I can understand the reflex. To me she was "that actress from that show Felicity that I never watched". The Diplomat turned me around real quick.

The Americans was awesome, especially that last "showdown" climax. Best TV ever, along with parts of Breaking Bad.

I watched a couple episodes of The Diplomat and couldn't get into it. I'll give it another try.

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

#333

Post by tharkun__ »

netsharc wrote: post #324
tharkun__ wrote: post #306

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not even a "trick". It's just normal for dual citizens to make things faster. Leave Canada on Canadian passport. You just get nods and wave throughs. Enter European country on EU passport in the smaller line (or nowadays automated border control stations). Just scan passport, (don't) smile for the photo and off you go. Flying back Canadian passport is on file and the CBSA just asks you some basic questions and w…

As far as I know if you're a citizen of a country, you have to use your passport from that country to enter/leave that country, at least it's that way with USA: [1] > U.S. nationals, including U.S. dual nationals, must use a U.S. passport to enter and leave the United States. And the German foreign ministry says it's international practice to do so, but says "should" instead of "must": [2] > Bei Doppelstaatern (Erwac…

Like I said, and this is personal experience: yes Canada needs your Canadian passport on file so they (and thus the airline) will let you board/back in.

I have been to several EU countries and none of them cared for the Canadian passport. Tried showing both at the beginning. They don't care. So we only show the EU one now.

Also funny: showing "the other passport only" because you don't have a current one. Like try using the Canadian one if you don't have a current EU passport (expired, never had one yet etc). Takes longer. Works too. Haven't tried recently so things might have changed.

Leaving an EU country has never required the EU passport. In fact having the Canadian on file is a requirement. Otherwise they call your name at the gate because you neither have a Canadian passport nor an electronic authorization on file and thus they can't let you board. So doesn't work in reverse nowadays.

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

#334

Post by dralley »

cryptonector wrote: post #311
epolanski wrote: post #295

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And what's the point of Russian border control having them know? They are Russian citizens with a Russian passport, they can enter their country without issues.

I know right? What tremendous foolishness. It's incredible, as in just not believable.

Not any more unbelievable than the sloppiness behind the attempted assassinations of Navalny, Skripal or the successful assassination of Litivenko

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

#335

Post by bufferoverflow »

stoperaticless wrote: post #264
bufferoverflow wrote: post #255

Earlier quoted context omitted.

TheInsider is a very anti-russian website.

Anti russian or anti putin?

Russians don't seem to be very against putin. So same.

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

#336

Post by reactordev »

toyg wrote: post #174
reactordev wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed. I learned this with Black Sails (first few episodes were huh?) and it evolved into something awesome. The Americans as well. I think that’s usually the case with shows that are trying something new and haven’t quite got the formula down. First season of Star Trek was a freak show of theater that somehow, worked. Thrived. And blossomed. Let’s just pray Bob Igor doesn’t get his hands on the franchise. I now fol…

> Bob Igor Is he the hunchback brother of Bob Iger, Disney CEO?

I plead the 5th and assume no association… the wrath of the house of mouse is real.

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

#337

Post by Aeolun »

ivan_gammel wrote: post #91
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…

At least in some countries in Schengen area they check both passports on the outbound travel to Russia, e.g. in Narva, Estonia („You don’t seem to have Russian visa, do you have another passport?“) However, you don’t have to be very smart and sophisticated to simply choose another route and use connection in Istanbul to avoid this check…

Using the passport to book the ticket, and using the passport to go through immigration are completely distinct though.

When travelling we can book with whatever passport, but we need to be more careful during immigration.

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

#338

Post by lobochrome »

cryptonector wrote: post #203

> Travel and border crossing data, recently made available thanks to an avalanche of terabytes leaked from Russian government databases, showed that Elena Šapošnikova is in possession of a secret Russian passport. Critically, her nine-digit passport number is part of a numerical range reserved exclusively for members of Unit 29155, differing from those of her colleagues only by its last two digits. Šapošnikova’s is 6…

While I agree with your general point, thinking about the passport numbers for a bit makes it plausible:

- You would have to reserve some numbers that can't be assigned to regular citizens.

- If you make those "random" - you need to store them in a database that can be checked against when issuing numbers to regular citizens.

- You wouldn't want such a database to exist.

- If you remove a whole "block," it's much simpler (do not assign passport numbers starting with...).

- Passports are NOT issued by the services themselves, and normal institutions (foreign office) only collaborate "covertly" — not everybody involved can be aware.

Fake passports that pass muster (regular patterns of a country's passport are known to foreign border guards, like checknums, typical issuance ranges, etc.) are not simple.

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

#339

Post by Reason077 »

vlovich123 wrote: post #122
eej71 wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had initially ignored the show because they had cast Keri Russell which I had assumed to be a total light weight. So I missed it the first few years and then I realized after its fourth renewal - gee maybe its good - and well - I was completely wrong. She was amazing. The show was terrific. But I'm a sucker for 80s cold war dramatics.

Keri Russell a lightweight? I’m curious what gave you that impression as I’ve always thought of her as an excellent actress. Probably missing out on The Diplomat too if you like political intrigue at all.

> "Keri Russell a lightweight? ... Probably missing out on The Diplomat too if you like political intrigue at all."

I have a running theory that The Americans and The Diplomat are in fact set in the same universe. Keri Russell is still playing the same character, a deep-cover Russian agent, and now she has infiltrated the upper echelons of the US government...

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

#340

Post by tharkun__ »

bobthepanda wrote: post #325
tharkun__ wrote: post #302

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's a definite maybe! Some countries make the airline need to know in advance whether to let you even board. Say the US with the electronic visaless authorization. You gotta give the airline your ESTA. Canada wants to know as well. So you need to have your PR card or Canadian passport on file or the electronic authorization. But that doesn't stop you from entering Europe on a European passport. You can have your s…

To the extent that the airlines care, anyone who cannot enter the country is deported at the airline's expense. So where it matters they do care. This is not really new. Back when steamship was the most common way of traveling between continents, the ocean lines gave lessons to the third-class passengers on what to say to US immigration officials so that they wouldn't have to pay for their lodging and return if they…

That makes a lot of sense! Incentives!

Also a nice fun fact about steamships I did not know. Love learning little tidbits like that!

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