Boris Volodarsky

Boris Volodarsky is a former captain in Russia's special forces, the GRU Spetsnaz. He is now a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society

Russian intelligence isn’t all it’s cracked up to be

Western countries have always had a rather high opinion of Soviet intelligence. British secret services – MI5, MI6 and Special Branch – tended to greatly exaggerate Russia’s successes during the Cold War and even after the collapse of the USSR. But the reality when it comes to Russian secret services is rather different. As the famous Russian satirist