The Illegals: A Secret History of Soviet Espionage, with Shaun Walker
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Welcome to Intelligence Squared, where great minds meet. I'm producer Mia Serenti. On today's episode, the untold history of Russia's deep cover spy program. Sean Walker is an international correspondent for The Guardian. He reported from Moscow for more than a decade.
and his coverage of Russia's war in Ukraine was shortlisted for the Foreign Reporter of the Year category at the British 2023 Press Awards. In his new book, The Illegals, Russia's Most Audacious Spies and the Plot to Infiltrate the West, Walker explores the untold history of Russia's deep cover spy programme. following its evolution from the talented great illegals of the 1920s and 30s up to the 21st century, when agents maintained their fake identities and loyalties even after the fall of the Soviet Union. These deep cover missions, some remarkable feats of espionage, others high profile failures, could last for decades. Walker shines new light on the long arc of the Soviet experiment and its messy aftermath, and how that hidden history shaped Russia and the West.
Joining him to discuss the book is Carl Miller, the journalist, co-founder of the Center for the Analysis of Social Media at Demos and host of crime podcast Killlist. Let's join Carl now with more. Alright, well welcome to Intelligence Squared, everyone. I'm Karl Miller. My guest today is Sean Walker.
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