CIA released a new video to encourage Russians, especially those who are disillusioned with Moscow leaders, to betray their country by working with the American spy agency.
The footage was posted in Russian-language so that interested residents of Russia can easily understand the message of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.
Experts said that the CIA is attempting to connect with Russian citizens' sense of patriotism. The video also targets the disparity between Russian troops who are sacrificing themselves on the battlefield and Kremlin leaders who are comfortably living in their houses.
CIA's New Video Encourages Russians To Betray Moscow Leaders
CIA released the video titled "Why I contacted CIA: the Motherland" on Monday, Jan. 22 on various social media platforms, such as Telegram.
For some people, this tactic might be useless since Russians are known for their strong patriotism and loyalty to their beloved country.
But, a CIA spokesperson claimed that their spy recruitment effort had already proven effective.
"We are seeing more outreach from Russians as a result of these videos. If it weren't working, we wouldn't be on video number three," explained the spy agency's official via NBC News.
CIA Director William Burns also explained why their recruitment tactic is efficient, especially now. Burns said that ever since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, there has been turmoil in the country.
He added that conflicts among Russian citizens and leaders are a "once-in-a-generation opportunity" that the CIA should take advantage of to recruit Russian spies.
CIA's Recent Recruitment Efforts in Russia
This is not the first time that the CIA launched a spy recruitment effort in Russia. One of their initiatives happened in March 2023.
CNN Politics reported that the American intelligence agency was also trying to take advantage of the conflict within the Kremlin to encourage Russian civilians to turn against their government.
The videos that the CIA published in Russia in 2023 generated over 2 million views. Of course, Russian leaders were not happy about this.
They accused the United States of trying to interfere with Russia's internal affairs, as well as attempting to destabilize the situation in the country.
Now, the latest CIA spy recruitment video could be more effective as it features an anonymous Russian who claims that his father served as a Russian paratrooper.
Because of his father's legacy, the narrator decided to join GRU; Russia's military intelligence service. However, he realized that the "real enemy lies within" Russia.
"Our leaders sell out the country for palaces and yachts while our soldiers chew rotten potatoes and fire ancient weapons," said the unnamed narrator in CIA's video.
"My desire is to save Russia. I will be the spark of truth for my son's sake," he said at the end of the video.
