“Walk-ins,” whether physical or digital, are scrutinised and vetted, and officials often try to determine what access they might have to secrets other than the ones they come bearing, according to former intelligence officials familiar with the process.

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The new instructions are aimed at “those who feel compelled to reach us because of the Russian government’s unjust war,” a CIA spokesperson said in an email. “Our global mission demands that individuals can contact us securely from anywhere.”

The agency asks write-ins to provide their full name, the country from which they are corresponding, their official position and “what access you have to information of interest to our organisation”.

There is no guarantee that the information Russians pass over the transom will be useful. But the fact the CIA looked for a way to make it easier for motivated Russians to make contact suggests there are many potential recruits queuing up, intelligence veterans said.

“It is a signal that they are being overwhelmed by people trying to contact US intelligence in ways that are less than secure,” said John Sipher, a former CIA officer who served for nearly 30 years, including in Russia.

“In this day and age, I think it is appropriate to offer means for initial contact that are safer than walking into an embassy or approaching an American on the street.”

Dan Hoffman, a retired intelligence officer who served as the CIA’s top official in Moscow, said Russian counterintelligence will be on heightened alert for those looking to spill secrets.

“You want to be really careful with Russians who are seeking to provide information. The FSB in particular will be watching for people,” Hoffman said, referring to the principal Russian security agency and successor to the KGB.

The CIA’s intelligence-gathering tactics fit within a broader strategy by the US government to counter Russian efforts at stifling free speech and access to credible news and information.

The State Department recently sponsored an online conversation on Telegram, a popular social media application in Russia, featuring Victoria Nuland, the undersecretary for political affairs, that drew about 2.3 million engagements, according to a State Department official.

A significant number of the comments directed at Nuland were critical of the United States, the official said, but the sheer volume indicated that Russians were interested in hearing from an American official and could get access to her comments via Telegram, which the government has not blocked.

The Russian government has cracked down on some social media platforms and limited Russians’ ability to use them. But a number are still active and thriving, the official said. YouTube continues operating with millions of viewers, and tens of millions of Russians are using the WhatsApp messaging service, the official said, citing conversations with the app’s owner, Meta.

Reports of “the demise of means of communication with Russia are a bit exaggerated,” the official said. “The fact is we are still able to talk to Russian audiences.”

The department has also seen evidence that Russians are actively looking for ways to skirt internet restrictions.

Following a push by the government to clamp down on the flow of information about the war after it began, Russians sought out VPNs in large numbers. Demand for VPN services in Russia rose 2,692 per cent in March, according to data from Top10VPN. Russia’s ban on Facebook and Twitter helped drive demand for the services, the company reported.

Washington Post

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