FBI Director Christopher Wray issued a stark warning on Thursday, stating that the number of Russian spies operating within the United States remains "alarmingly high," despite efforts to expel them.
Speaking at the Spy Museum in Washington, Wray emphasized that the traditional Russian threat to counterintelligence remains potent. He added, "The footprint of Russian intelligence, meaning intelligence officers, is still very large in the United States. It's something we constantly face and we try to impede, prevent, and disrupt in every way possible."
The presence of Russian spies on American soil is not a new phenomenon. However, with U.S. officials increasingly recognizing Russia under President Vladimir Putin as an adversary, the long-standing concerns about counterintelligence, once viewed as remnants of the Cold War, have once again garnered high-level attention.
In 2018, the United States expelled 60 Russian diplomats, designating them as intelligence agents. Additionally, the U.S. ordered the closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle as part of its response to Russia's alleged use of nerve agent in the poisoning of a former Russian spy residing in the U.S. and the UK.
A Dutch intelligence agency publicly identified a Russian military intelligence officer who had studied at the prestigious School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University - a graduate program favored by young U.S. military personnel, diplomats, and future spies.
Wray stated, "I will say that over the past several years, the United States has taken significant steps to reduce the presence of Russian intelligence officers in the United States and has effectively expelled them."
Deep Concerns Among Democrats Regarding Biden's Candidacy After Polling Setbacks
The Russian Foreign Ministry Summons the Armenian Ambassador over 'Unfriendly Yerevan Actions'
