A set of leaked texts and recordings has revealed how Russian intelligence officers tried to recruit a young anti-Kremlin activist living in Moscow, pressuring him to spy on opposition groups in Europe. The student, referred to as Ivan to protect his identity, was contacted by the officers between 2023 and 2025. The messages show how they tried to turn him into an informant on friends who had fled Russia.
The leaks, shared with POLITICO, offer one of the clearest pictures yet of how Moscow's spies operate abroad. They show how the Kremlin threatens, encourages, and constantly monitors dissidents, even far from home.
