Russian spy agency DKRO accused of leaving faeces in diplomats’ suitcases

The Russian Department for Counterintelligence Operations (DKRO), which operates covertly under the control of Russia’s central security agency, has recently attracted attention from its US counterparts for its alleged actions across the globe.

Recent findings printed in the Wall Street Journal have claimed the DKRO was directly involved in the arrest of journalist Evan Gershkovich.

Intelligence insiders have now lifted the lid on a few of the agency’s allegedly intimidatory tactics, claiming they have left a pungent breadcrumb trail of clues that have quickly become their calling card.

The report claims sneaky agents have a reputation of leaving burnt cigarettes on toilet seats in the homes of their targets as a means to intimidate them.

According to the anonymous intelligence sources, agents have also left deposits in their toilets and even in the suitcase of a “senior official visiting from Washington”.

The DKRO has also been a suspect in a series of peculiar incidents occurring recently, including unexplained flat tires on embassy vehicles and the death of a diplomat’s dog.

“They’re very, very smart on the America target. They’ve been doing this a long time. They know us extremely well,” said Dan Hoffman, a former official at the Central Intelligence Agency.

“They do their job extremely well, they’re ruthless about doing their job, and they’re not constrained by any resources.”

Those who have spent years investigating the agency explained how the US remains its “main enemy” despite the conflict in Ukraine being Russia’s most pressing conundrum.

“The DKRO never misses an opportunity if it presents itself against the US, the main enemy,” Russian security analyst Andrei Soldatov told US mastheads.

“They are the crème-de-la-crème of the FSB.”

In the case of Gershkovich, sources say they have strong links to the DKRO in relation to the detaining of the US journalist.

Gershkovich has remained incarcerated for over 100 days and has become the first American journalist since the Cold War to face espionage charges in Russia.

“I do not want to give false hope,” said White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan this week, commenting on the likelihood of a prisoner swap with Moscow.

“I cannot stand here today and tell you that we have a clear answer to how we are going to get Evan home. All I can do is tell you that we have a clear commitment and conviction that we will do everything possible to bring him home.”

In addition to Gershkovich, experts also suspect the DKRO‘s involvement in the detainment of two former American Marines, Paul Whelan and Trevor Reed.

Whelan has been held in custody since 2018, while Reed was arrested by Russian authorities in 2019. The latter was subsequently released in an April 2022 prisoner exchange.

The ferocity of the Russian security and intelligence services have been noted around the world, with a UK defence think tank asserting that they have been more successful throughout the Ukraine war than the army.

Russian spy agencies began preparing for the invasion of Ukraine as early as June 2021, according to the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).

The report, compiled using information from captured documents, Ukrainian intelligence officials and intercepted communications explained how the FSB had obtained control over large portions of the occupied nation.

The report claims the FSB downloaded government computer hard drives to identify pro-Kyiv individuals to later arrest and interrogate. RUSI claims that at least 800 Ukrainian officials were co-opted into working for the FSB.

“It is evident that the Russian special services managed to recruit a large agent network in Ukraine prior to the invasion and that much of the support apparatus has remained viable after the invasion, providing a steady stream of human intelligence to Russian forces,” the report read.