Soviet embassy workers' role in Cold War espionage
By: Daniel Webb
Soviet embassy workers during the Cold War had already gained a level of relative trust with the U.S. government which made them an invaluable asset for KBG operations in America. Obviously not all embassy workers and diplomats were working for the KGB but the ones that were played critical parts.
One of the most important ways that the embassy workers helped with espionage was to help with obtaining the stolen identifications for prospective spies, or the "illegals" that were mentioned in last weeks post. There were several methods of obtaining these IDs but perhaps the most fascinating was the method of secretly exploring cemeteries, looking for the graves of people who had died as infants or young children. Once these names and birthdays were obtained from the gravestones, spies could then "resume" the life of the child who had died. Embassy workers would also help these illegals come up with backstories to cover the time that was unaccounted for since the child had died and also to cover for things like a lack of a high school diploma or a social security number. Obviously it was a little easier to assume someone else's identity back in the 70s and 80s than it would be today.
Embassy workers with KGB ties also provided secure methods for illegals to communicate with Moscow without blowing their cover. Illegals so deep undercover that they couldn't simply pick up the phone and call their headquarters. Instead, illegals could pass messages through the embassy via seemingly mundane communications, with hidden code words and messages. In more modern times, spies have also used innocent looking pictures in emails with hidden messages embedded within the pixels of the photos.
Soviet spies would go to sometimes extreme lengths to spy and obtain information. This would often involve installing surveillance equipment inside of places like the FBI headquarters or other government buildings. It would be impossible for an undercover spy to walk in to a place like this, but a Soviet diplomat who already had connections with U.S. government workers could facilitate these operations or at least assist in some way. Needless to say, without the help of Soviet embassy workers, Soviet espionage in America would not have been as successful.
Soviet embassy workers during the Cold War had already gained a level of relative trust with the U.S. government which made them an invaluable asset for KBG operations in America. Obviously not all embassy workers and diplomats were working for the KGB but the ones that were played critical parts.
One of the most important ways that the embassy workers helped with espionage was to help with obtaining the stolen identifications for prospective spies, or the "illegals" that were mentioned in last weeks post. There were several methods of obtaining these IDs but perhaps the most fascinating was the method of secretly exploring cemeteries, looking for the graves of people who had died as infants or young children. Once these names and birthdays were obtained from the gravestones, spies could then "resume" the life of the child who had died. Embassy workers would also help these illegals come up with backstories to cover the time that was unaccounted for since the child had died and also to cover for things like a lack of a high school diploma or a social security number. Obviously it was a little easier to assume someone else's identity back in the 70s and 80s than it would be today.
Embassy workers with KGB ties also provided secure methods for illegals to communicate with Moscow without blowing their cover. Illegals so deep undercover that they couldn't simply pick up the phone and call their headquarters. Instead, illegals could pass messages through the embassy via seemingly mundane communications, with hidden code words and messages. In more modern times, spies have also used innocent looking pictures in emails with hidden messages embedded within the pixels of the photos.
Soviet spies would go to sometimes extreme lengths to spy and obtain information. This would often involve installing surveillance equipment inside of places like the FBI headquarters or other government buildings. It would be impossible for an undercover spy to walk in to a place like this, but a Soviet diplomat who already had connections with U.S. government workers could facilitate these operations or at least assist in some way. Needless to say, without the help of Soviet embassy workers, Soviet espionage in America would not have been as successful.
Royalty free photo credit: Pexel.com
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