Soviet espionage in the United States

For events after 1991, see Russian espionage in the United States.

As early as the 1920s, the Soviet Union, through its GRU, OGPU, NKVD, and KGB intelligence agencies, used Russian and foreign-born nationals (resident spies), as well as Communists of American origin, to perform espionage activities in the United States, forming various spy rings.[1][2][3] Particularly during the 1940s, some of these espionage networks had contact with various U.S. government agencies. These Soviet espionage networks illegally transmitted confidential information to Moscow, such as information on the development of the atomic bomb (see atomic spies).[1][2][3] Soviet spies also participated in propaganda and disinformation operations, known as active measures, and attempted to sabotage diplomatic relationships between the U.S. and its allies.[4][5]

  1. ^ a b Haynes, John Earl, and Klehr, Harvey, Venona: Decoding Soviet Espionage in America, Yale University Press (2000) ISBN 0-300-08462-5
  2. ^ a b Weinstein, Allen; Vassiliev, Alexander (1999). The Haunted Wood: Soviet Espionage in America: The Stalin Era. New York: Random House. ISBN 9780679457244.
  3. ^ a b Retrieved Papers Shed Light On Communist Activities In U.S., Associated Press, January 31, 2001
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :7 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).