Putin’s war in Ukraine through the eyes of a KGB insider

A man studies the KGB archive in Riga, Latvia, in a 2019 file photo. Jack Barsky (below) says that he believes the Russian intelligence services are not as well funded as the KGB was. 'I am not saying they do not have well-trained agents, but they are using a lot of amateurs,' he tells Kathimerini. [Akos Stiller/The New York Times]

His life is similar to that of a Hollywood hero - perhaps the super-spy Jason Bourne, played by Matt Damon in the famous film series. Except that Jack Barsky was not in the ranks of the CIA, but the KGB at the end of the Cold War.

Having been born in East Germany, he joined the KGB, where he received the most intensive training in the Russian service. He graduated from the same training program as President Vladimir Putin and was given the mission to infiltrate the US as one of the best field agents. In America, he joined progressive left-wing organizations, collected information, and was integrated into American society, where he conducted espionage for 10 years (1978-88).

In this interview with Kathimerini, Barsky outlines the thinking of the Russian leadership and the role of propaganda and puts together the mosaic of the invasion of Ukraine. The unknown world of...

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