![]() He gave his middle name as “Nick,” which appears to be an anglicization of his known Russian second name, Nikolaevich.Īround this time, Poteyev also registered to vote in the 2016 election as a Republican, again giving personal details that match the Russian defector. The date of birth given for the fishing license - applied for just three months after his death was announced - matches a date of birth given in earlier Russian media accounts. Yet the fishing license and other public records suggest that, to the contrary, Poteyev has lived openly under his own name. The BBC reported that Poteyev’s whereabouts have been a “closely-guarded secret” ever since he arrived in the US. ![]() The officials said that allowing Moscow’s triumphal claims of a traitor’s death to go unchallenged - and thus allowing their vulnerable asset to maintain a low profile - was the best way to ensure his safety.īut that plan depended on the truth not leaking out - and on Poteyev keeping his own identity under wraps. Officials there requested that the information not be published, on the grounds that revealing his name or personal details would increase the threat to Poteyev’s life, and BuzzFeed News agreed. After discovering that Poteyev was in fact still alive, the reporters approached the CIA for comment. The bizarre case of Poteyev, however, also illuminates a rare moment in the spy-vs.-spy annals of international relations - a moment when US intelligence chose to support Russian propaganda.īuzzFeed News first started reporting on Poteyev last year for a series of articles on UK and US deaths that intelligence sources suspect were Russian hit jobs. The BBC reported earlier this week on another possible incentive for the disinformation: The news might smoke the target out by prompting him to reach out to his relatives back home. By publicizing a turncoat’s death (real or otherwise), the Kremlin could claim a public relations victory while sending a warning to anyone considering similar actions. That promise, central to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s image, is backed up by a grim and growing list of enemies who have died or fallen ill in suspicious circumstances - most recently the poisoning of former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal in England. Then, in July 2016, Russian state TV declared that Poteyev had died. A few years later, according to news accounts and US intelligence sources, a suspected Kremlin hit man approached his home. Moscow had outed Poteyev as a traitor who exposed a network of undercover agents, including the glamorous Anna Chapman, before he defected to the US in 2010. 9, 2016, a 64-year-old master spy and known scourge of the Kremlin ambled into a Walmart in Florida and acquired a recreational fishing license.įor the right to fish along the saltwater shoreline, Alexander Poteyev disclosed his real name and date of birth, as well as a phone number, email, and mailing address - an odd choice, because Poteyev was hiding from Russian assassins.
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