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Children of freed sleeper agents learned they were Russians on the flight

AftHurrahWinch 2y ago
MOSCOW, Aug 2 (Reuters) - A family of Russian sleeper agents flown to Moscow in the biggest East-West prisoner swap since the Cold War were so deep under cover that their children found out they were Russians only after the flight took off, the Kremlin said on Friday. "Before that, they didn't know that they were Russian and that they had anything to do with our country," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "And you probably saw that when the children came down the plane's steps that they don't speak Russian and that Putin greeted them in Spanish. He said 'buenas noches'." "The children asked their parents yesterday who it was that was meeting them (in Moscow). They didn't even know who Putin was. This is how the 'illegals' work. They make such sacrifices out of dedication to their work," Peskov said.
- wumeow 2y ago
  Interesting that Peskov doesn’t even bother denying they were spies and actually boasts about it.
  - AftHurrahWinch 2y ago
    It was interesting to me too. I had a cliche Mission Impossible understanding of intelligence work... "your mission, should you accept it ... as always, should you be caught, the Secretary will disavow..."
  - rasz 2y ago
    Why would he? This is a huge russian W. He is saying: "we peed directly into their mouth and watched for years how Western politicians and media contemplate intricacies of the aftertaste" Maria Butina, asset responsible for collapse of NRA and Trump support landed in State Duma aka Congresswoman after previous spy exchange. Viktor Bout, notorious arms dealer exchanged for some dope idiot, became a state deputy. Peskov also formally confirmed Vadim Krasikov is an active FSB Alpha unit member. Same Vadim Krasikov russians swore up and down in 2019 they knew nothing about. TASS 28 Aug 2019 "Russia has no relation to murder in Germany of which Russian is suspected, says Kremlin." Oh, and btw https://tass.com/world/1824729 https://tass.com/world/1824729 "Trump describes prisoner swap as ‘phenomenal deal’ for Russia"
    - iLemming 2y ago
      > exchanged for some dope idiot Griner is a two-times Olympic golden medalist, two-times World Cup gold winner, six-time WNBA All-Star. Of course, she could be as well an idiot - I can't argue against this point of yours as I don't have sufficient data for that, but if you insist, at least please acknowledge that she is a highly-decorated idiot. What has Bout ever accomplished for Russians to be proud of or have any tangible benefits?
      - jki275 2y ago
        You can do lots of brilliant things, but bringing drugs into Russia...
        rasz 2y ago
        Especially after Jan 23, 2022 Department of State Level 4 Travel Advisory – Do Not Travel – for Russia. https://ru.usembassy.gov/security-alert-update-to-travel-advisory-for-russia-january-23-2022/ https://ru.usembassy.gov/security-alert-update-to-travel-adv... "terrorism, harassment by Russian government security officials, and the arbitrary enforcement of local law."
        racional 2y ago
        As everyone knows already. But the accused person has more than paid their dues in regard to this matter -- so there's no need to throw petty insults at them here. As if anyone here would say that to her face.
    - racional 2y ago
      What Griner did hurt no one, and was no more foolish than any number of dumb things you've done in your own life. She absolutely did not deserve to have hear life nearly destroyed for the sake of Putin's sick games. Show some respect.
      - xingped 2y ago
        Didn't deserve it, no, but westerners like to forget that their laws and cultural norms are not the same in the rest of the world and like it or not, if you're in another country, you are on their turf and have to respect their laws, no matter how much they might conflict with your views. And some countries are much worse places than others to not follow local laws. Doing so in Russia, of all places, as an American is probably the dumbest of dumb. It's not disrespectful to say that.
  - netsharc 2y ago
    Probably because Putin knows he's a dictator, and he doesn't have to please anyone but his henchmen. The message is "Work for me, even if they arrest you I'll get you out and bring you home a hero.". Of course a "hero" in Putin's circle, not in the West or civilized Russians' eyes, but in Putin's view, who gives a shit about them, I'm beating them/I have them under oppressive control...
jmyeet 2y ago
Shout out to FX’s The Americans, a fictional TV show about sleeper Soviet agents in the 1980s. It’s a fantastic show, easily one of my top 3 of all time. I honestly thought “illegals” were an urban myth. It’s wild that suck a thing can exist with modern technology and does exist.
- bigodbiel 2y ago
  The Americans was inspired by the "Illegals Program"[1]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegals_Program https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegals_Program
- nixnixers 2y ago
  I find it interesting that the parents in the generation shown by the Americans could have a real political philosophy that (for a believer) would justify warping their childrens lives as some kind of global freedom fighter.. This generation is being taken home by petty nationalists at best, to a nation they have no attachment to.
  - aftbit 2y ago
    I'm not sure why this was flagged but I vouched because it does seem like an interesting point. I didn't finish The Americans but as I remember, one of the key tensions was between the dad who was coming to care more about living a fulfilling life with his family, and the mom who was deeper into the mission and the whole Soviet officer philosophy. I also don't have kids, but all of my friends who do seem to see them as the most important thing in their lives. It is interesting to see the strength of ideas that can rise above that. I don't think it's a generational thing though. I think older and younger generations are equally "susceptible" to these sorts of ideas.
    - nixnixers 2y ago
      Sure, I don't really see generations of people as different.. But the extent that government relates to ideological ideas as priorities. At any rate a modern Americans would be very interesting in terms of how the mother could be portrayed.
hnthrowaway0328 2y ago
Man it's going to mess up the kids life big.
OfficeChad 2y ago
[dead]

MOSCOW, Aug 2 (Reuters) - A family of Russian sleeper agents flown to Moscow in the biggest East-West prisoner swap since the Cold War were so deep under cover that their children found out they were Russians only after the flight took off, the Kremlin said on Friday. "Before that, they didn't know that they were Russian and that they had anything to do with our country," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "And you probably saw that when the children came down the plane's steps that they don't speak Russian and that Putin greeted them in Spanish. He said 'buenas noches'." "The children asked their parents yesterday who it was that was meeting them (in Moscow). They didn't even know who Putin was. This is how the 'illegals' work. They make such sacrifices out of dedication to their work," Peskov said.

wumeow 2y ago
Interesting that Peskov doesn’t even bother denying they were spies and actually boasts about it.
- AftHurrahWinch 2y ago
  It was interesting to me too. I had a cliche Mission Impossible understanding of intelligence work... "your mission, should you accept it ... as always, should you be caught, the Secretary will disavow..."
- rasz 2y ago
  Why would he? This is a huge russian W. He is saying: "we peed directly into their mouth and watched for years how Western politicians and media contemplate intricacies of the aftertaste" Maria Butina, asset responsible for collapse of NRA and Trump support landed in State Duma aka Congresswoman after previous spy exchange. Viktor Bout, notorious arms dealer exchanged for some dope idiot, became a state deputy. Peskov also formally confirmed Vadim Krasikov is an active FSB Alpha unit member. Same Vadim Krasikov russians swore up and down in 2019 they knew nothing about. TASS 28 Aug 2019 "Russia has no relation to murder in Germany of which Russian is suspected, says Kremlin." Oh, and btw https://tass.com/world/1824729 https://tass.com/world/1824729 "Trump describes prisoner swap as ‘phenomenal deal’ for Russia"
  - iLemming 2y ago
    > exchanged for some dope idiot Griner is a two-times Olympic golden medalist, two-times World Cup gold winner, six-time WNBA All-Star. Of course, she could be as well an idiot - I can't argue against this point of yours as I don't have sufficient data for that, but if you insist, at least please acknowledge that she is a highly-decorated idiot. What has Bout ever accomplished for Russians to be proud of or have any tangible benefits?
    - jki275 2y ago
      You can do lots of brilliant things, but bringing drugs into Russia...
      - rasz 2y ago
        Especially after Jan 23, 2022 Department of State Level 4 Travel Advisory – Do Not Travel – for Russia. https://ru.usembassy.gov/security-alert-update-to-travel-advisory-for-russia-january-23-2022/ https://ru.usembassy.gov/security-alert-update-to-travel-adv... "terrorism, harassment by Russian government security officials, and the arbitrary enforcement of local law."
      - racional 2y ago
        As everyone knows already. But the accused person has more than paid their dues in regard to this matter -- so there's no need to throw petty insults at them here. As if anyone here would say that to her face.
  - racional 2y ago
    What Griner did hurt no one, and was no more foolish than any number of dumb things you've done in your own life. She absolutely did not deserve to have hear life nearly destroyed for the sake of Putin's sick games. Show some respect.
    - xingped 2y ago
      Didn't deserve it, no, but westerners like to forget that their laws and cultural norms are not the same in the rest of the world and like it or not, if you're in another country, you are on their turf and have to respect their laws, no matter how much they might conflict with your views. And some countries are much worse places than others to not follow local laws. Doing so in Russia, of all places, as an American is probably the dumbest of dumb. It's not disrespectful to say that.
- netsharc 2y ago
  Probably because Putin knows he's a dictator, and he doesn't have to please anyone but his henchmen. The message is "Work for me, even if they arrest you I'll get you out and bring you home a hero.". Of course a "hero" in Putin's circle, not in the West or civilized Russians' eyes, but in Putin's view, who gives a shit about them, I'm beating them/I have them under oppressive control...

jmyeet 2y ago

Shout out to FX’s The Americans, a fictional TV show about sleeper Soviet agents in the 1980s. It’s a fantastic show, easily one of my top 3 of all time. I honestly thought “illegals” were an urban myth. It’s wild that suck a thing can exist with modern technology and does exist.

bigodbiel 2y ago
The Americans was inspired by the "Illegals Program"[1]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegals_Program https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegals_Program
nixnixers 2y ago
I find it interesting that the parents in the generation shown by the Americans could have a real political philosophy that (for a believer) would justify warping their childrens lives as some kind of global freedom fighter.. This generation is being taken home by petty nationalists at best, to a nation they have no attachment to.
- aftbit 2y ago
  I'm not sure why this was flagged but I vouched because it does seem like an interesting point. I didn't finish The Americans but as I remember, one of the key tensions was between the dad who was coming to care more about living a fulfilling life with his family, and the mom who was deeper into the mission and the whole Soviet officer philosophy. I also don't have kids, but all of my friends who do seem to see them as the most important thing in their lives. It is interesting to see the strength of ideas that can rise above that. I don't think it's a generational thing though. I think older and younger generations are equally "susceptible" to these sorts of ideas.
  - nixnixers 2y ago
    Sure, I don't really see generations of people as different.. But the extent that government relates to ideological ideas as priorities. At any rate a modern Americans would be very interesting in terms of how the mother could be portrayed.

hnthrowaway0328 2y ago

Man it's going to mess up the kids life big.

OfficeChad 2y ago

[dead]