Russia

Former FBI official says he had to call RCMP to arrest Jeffrey Delisle in Russian spy case

Former FBI official says Canada’s spy catching system caused delay, angst in Delisle case

“…CSIS watched Delisle pass top-secret information to Russia for months without briefing the RCMP. The spy agency, acting on legal advice, opted to keep its investigation sealed for fear of exposing sources and methods of the intelligence trade in open court proceedings.

“Someone had to call Canada’s cops. Strangely, that task went to me,” says Figliuzzi, who led the FBI’s counter-intelligence division as an assistant director.”

by Blazingcatfur•January 17, 2021January 17, 2021•0•Canada, CSIS, Espionage, RCMP, Russia, USA

The furred Reich: Nazi monkey and swastika-wearing goats at Russian circus spark fury and criminal probe

The bizarre show was commissioned by the Russian Orthodox Church and has been captured on video.

by Sarcasticat•January 13, 2021January 13, 2021•0•Nazis, Russia

Finding the Russian Moles

Espionage is an old story. Long ago Moses dispatched twelve spies to explore the land of Canaan as a future home for the Israelite people. They reported they had found a land flowing with milk and honey. On December 8, 2020 it was disclosed that individuals, almost certainly Russian, had hacked the U.S. security firm Fire Eye, only one of the many targets compromised in the cybersecurity industry. It soon became apparent that foreign hackers had attacked both governmental and unofficial organizations. A large-scale espionage campaign has breached the U.S. Treasury and Commerce Departments and other government agencies. Microsoft and customers were compromised, and emails had been stolen from U.S. private sector companies. The victim of a highly sophisticated targeted attack, Orion Platform, the server of the network management system Solar Winds, which produces software for the U.S. government and private companies, was breached.

by Blazingcatfur•December 31, 2020December 30, 2020•0•Espionage, Russia, USA

U.S. “Driving Stake Through Heart” of German-Russian Pipeline

The United States is ratcheting up the threat of sanctions against European companies in an effort to deal a death blow to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Russia and Germany. The pipeline would double shipments of Russian natural gas to Germany by transporting the gas under the Baltic Sea. U.S. President Donald Trump, like his predecessor Barack Obama, has criticized the project because it would make Germany “captive” to Russia for its energy supplies.

Trump has been especially critical of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who, in opposition to the United States and many Eastern European countries, has doggedly pursued the pipeline project, which would funnel billions of dollars to Russia at a time that Germany is free-riding on the U.S. defense umbrella that protects Germany from that same Russia.

That would be the same Teutonic Tart noted here, she luvs her China too – Angela Merkel faces European revolt over China trade policy

by Blazingcatfur•December 28, 2020December 28, 2020•0•"China - Communist Slave State", Germany, NATO, Russia, USA

Russia revives Soviet-era lab to test weapons in Arctic climate: All you need to know

Russia has revived a Soviet-era research facility to test weapons in severe Arctic conditions as the Kremlin aims to boost its defence in the resource-rich region. This also comes at a time when the country faces military challenges along its western borders. Sergei Karasev, senior official at the Central Scientific-Research Institute for Precision Machine Engineering, Russia’s weapons maker, announced in a statement on Thursday that it had restored testing chambers at the facility to simulate extreme conditions, including extreme heat, cold and wet weather.

by Sarcasticat•December 27, 2020December 26, 2020•0•military, Russia

Russian agents foil ‘Islamic State’ terror attack

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said Saturday it had prevented an attack by a terrorist group with links to the Islamic State (IS) armed group.

The FSB said it had arrested four people who were set to carry out the offensive in the troubled southern republic of Dagestan.

“Members of the group planned to detonate an explosive close to an administrative building belonging to security services, followed by an armed attack against interior ministry employees in the city of Makhachkala,” the FSB said in a statement.

by Blazingcatfur•December 26, 2020December 26, 2020•0•"Islamophobia", Dagestan, Islam, Islam and violence, Russia

Paul Whelan: Grim life of US ‘spy’ in Russian labour camp

Convicted as an American spy, Paul Whelan is preparing to spend Christmas in a Russian labour camp as talks to negotiate his release have faltered.

In his first detailed interview since his arrest, Mr Whelan has described life locked up alongside murderers and thieves as a “very, very grim existence” and called on his four governments to do more to get him out.

The former US Marine has always insisted he is innocent, describing himself as a hostage of “slimy” Russian politics and a “sham” trial.

by Blazingcatfur•December 22, 2020December 22, 2020•0•Russia, USA

Mike Pompeo: ‘We can say pretty clearly’ Russia was behind hack of US agencies

Mike Pompeo has become the first member of the Trump administration to blame Russia for wide-ranging hacks of US government agencies and private companies.

“This was a very significant effort,” the secretary of state told rightwing talk radio host Mark Levin on Friday night. “I think it’s the case that now we can say pretty clearly that it was the Russians that engaged in this activity.”

On Saturday, Pompeo announced the closure of two US consulates in Russia at which activity had already been curtailed, due to Covid-19.

by Blazingcatfur•December 19, 2020December 19, 2020•0•Cyber War, Russia, USA

Facebook closes fake accounts linked to French military and Russia

Facebook said Tuesday that it had removed two networks based in Russia and one linked to the French military, accusing them of carrying out interference campaigns in Africa.

Two networks running multiple Facebook accounts were assigned to people associated with the Russian Internet Research Agency, and the third had “links to individuals associated with French military,” the social media platform said.

All three were removed from the site for breaking its policy against foreign or government interference, Facebook said, adding that the networks targeted countries mainly in north Africa and some in the Middle East.

by Blazingcatfur•December 16, 2020December 16, 2020•0•facebook, France, Russia

Cold war: Russia’s bid to control the Arctic

It may be time for Santa Claus to look for a new home, before the Russians kick him out. ‘This is our Arctic,’ declared the Russian explorer Artur Chilingarov when he went to the North Pole in 2003. Four years later, another Russian expedition, again led by Chilingarov, planted a titanium flag on the seabed 2.5 miles below the Pole. It was a symbolic gesture of a geopolitical ambition. The jingoistic Chilingarov proclaimed: ‘Our task is to remind the world that Russia is a great Arctic and scientific power.’

by Blazingcatfur•December 15, 2020December 15, 2020•0•Canada, Russia, USA

Kremlin-backed hackers breach US Treasury and Commerce: Report

A “sophisticated hacking group” backed by the Russian government reportedly infiltrated the Department of Treasury’s systems and stole information related to internet and telecommunications policymaking as part of a broader campaign that also hacked the Commerce Department and other government agencies.

The FBI is investigating the attacks and is looking into the Russian hacking group APT29, also known as Cozy Bear, as a potential culprit, according to the Washington Post. The foreign-backed hack was first reported by Reuters.

As a result of the hack, the National Security Council held a meeting at the White House on Sunday.

by Blazingcatfur•December 14, 2020December 13, 2020•0•Cyber War, Cybercrime, Russia, USA