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In 1954, Soviet intelligence officer Nikolai Khokhlov brought this weapon disguised as a cigarette pack with him to assassinate a Russian dissident living in Frankfurt, Germany. Khokhlov instead experienced a crisis of conscience, and openly identified himself to the intended target, then defected to the United States. He presented this disguised pistol as the weapon he'd been issued for this assassination mission. The poison pistol had two single-shot barrels loaded with hollow point bullets filled with potassium cyanide. The pistol is likely a product of the Soviet Union's legendary poison laboratory known by many names but widely called "The Chamber". The laboratory has existed in many forms since 1921, and consistently delivered cutting-edge assassination tools to the NKVD, then the KGB and GRU, and more recently the SVR and FSB. Assassination-by-poison is a signature of all Russian intelligence agencies and has claimed dozens of known victims worldwide over the years. Possibly hundreds more murder victims exist, as many of the Chamber's poisons induced death by apparent natural causes. Three years after Khokhlov's defection, he himself was targeted by his former government for assassination. He fell gravely ill after drinking a cup of coffee at a social event in Germany. Thallium was found in his system but typical treatments for thallium poisoning had no recuperative effect. Ultimately, doctors at a Frankfurt hospital discovered his true ailment. The thallium itself had been subjected to atomic radiation, and was disintegrating inside of Khokhlov's body, causing a wide variety of symptoms. The Chamber was peerless in its implementation of poison as a tool of state-sponsored assassinations. For episode 18 of the Spycraft 101 podcast I told Nikolai Khokhov’s incredible story in my own words, after months of research. The episode is available now. #kgb #coldwar #assassination #covert #clandestine youtube.com/watch?v=S0y8rOIl…

Russian security forces launch crackdown on alternative youth and “alt girls” A heavy-handed police raid involving mass arrests took place in Moscow’s Kitay-Gorod district, a popular gathering spot for young people from alternative subcultures. Between 100 and 300 people were detained, including minors. Those old enough to serve were handed military draft notices and forced to sign contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defence. Detainees reported being beaten and forced to wait for hours without access to water or toilets. Neither the children nor their parents were given any explanation for what was happening. Only after the story attracted widespread media attention did police issue a brief statement, describing the raid as “preventive measures”. Just a reminder of what kind of country they live in.

Ajatus aktiivisista vastatoimista Venäjän likaiselle operaatioillle on hyvä. Meidän pitäisi iskeä takaisin. Ei samalla tavalla, mutta kipeästi. Venäjän pelottelu loppuu, kuin asiat viedään pisteeseen, jossa Venäjää pelottaa. Onko näitä tehty. Kyllä, mutta matalalla tasolla. Euroopassa on maita, joiden tiedustelu kykenee vastatoimiin. Olemme samalla ulkoistaneet suuren osan aktiivisista vastatoimista Ukrainalle, joka ei arastele käydä Venäjän kimppuun. yle.fi/a/74-20255635